Don't Interrupt Us
by Mag68
Summary: This is my submission for the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda ficathon. Here’s how I would have hooked Lorelai and Luke up in Concert Interruptus. Note – Adult/Mature rating for a reason!
1. She's Got Annie Oakley Eyes

**A/N: This is my submission for the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda ficathon challenge. This is how I would have hooked these two crazy kids up in my assigned episode, Concert Interruptus. Special thanks to Robinpoppins and Filo for organizing the madness, and to Secretly Reading, Truelovepooh and Filo for their feedback on this story. It's not the 840 pages that I threatened, but I have managed to sit on this egg for over a month, waiting for the ficathon to hatch. I hope that you enjoy Don't Interrupt Us. **

**She's Got Annie Oakley Eyes**

Lorelai sat at the counter at Luke's talking to Rory and wearing her new for her, but slightly used, leopard print Coyote Ugly cowgirl hat and the sparkly sweatshirt that she insisted had 'Lorelai' written all over it. She was fending off Rory's commentary when the next thing she knew, Luke was standing in front of them holding a coffee pot and completely freaking out. "What the hell do you think you're wearing?" he demanded.

"A hat," she answered with a smile.

"Take that off," he said angrily.

"What?" she asked, shooting Rory a sidelong glance.

Luke pointed at her and said, "Now that is not yours, take it off."

"But I'll have hat hair," Lorelai said incredulously.

"I'm talking about the sweatshirt," he said, his voice rising in anger as his eyes stayed locked on the garment in question.

"Luke calm down," Lorelai said, turning to Rory for support, but finding the stool next to hers empty.

"That is not yours," Luke said adamantly.

"No, I found it in the bags of stuff for the sale," Lorelai said as she glanced around nervously and found herself completely alone with the angry diner owner.

"Oh, so you just find something and then you take it is that it?" he demanded.

"No, I paid for it," she said indignantly.

"Oh, so that makes it alright," he scoffed.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "It makes it legal. What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing. Nothing is the matter," he said as he slammed the coffee pot down on the counter and circled around the end of it.

"Luke..." Lorelai started to say.

"Take it off, or I'm taking it off of you," he warned in a low, dangerous voice.

"But, Luke," she protested even as she turned toward him.

He reached for the zipper, grazing her breast with his fingers as he lifted the tab and began to jerk it down. "It's not yours," he said as he pushed her back against the counter. "It's hers, damn it," he said as he pressed his lips to hers in a crushing kiss. He stood between her legs, pressing into her until the counter bit into her back, punishing her with his lips and tongue as he yanked the sweatshirt off of her shoulders pinning her arms to her sides. Lorelai barely had time to recover from the shock before she found herself winding her arms around his neck and pulling him closer, pressing up into the solid bulk of his body. The bells chimed and Kirk called out, "Luke, I need a tuna melt on wheat, please," as he stepped obliviously into the diner.

Luke broke the kiss abruptly and whispered, "It's not yours, Lorelai. It's Rachel's." He stepped back from her and said in a harsh voice, "You'll never be Rachel."

Lorelai sat straight up in bed, shaking her head, trying to dispel the dregs of the disturbing dream as her heart hammered in her chest. She reached up and pushed the mass of tangled curls back from her damp forehead as she looked around the room blankly. First, she caught sight of the alarm clock lying on the floor by the wall in pieces. Then she saw the black leather pants she had worn to the Bangles concert the night before draped over the chair, right beside – it. She sat still in the center of the bed, staring at the rhinestone studded sweatshirt. The same sweatshirt that just minutes ago, Luke had been forcibly removing from her person. She had to glance down just to be sure that she was wearing the cloud pajamas she had put on the night before.

"Elle McPherson pretty," she muttered as she scooted off of the bed and stumbled toward the bathroom. She looked into the mirror and pressed her hands to her flushed cheeks. "I'm not jealous," she whispered to her reflection. She turned on the taps with a flick of her wrists and said in a stronger voice, "I'm not." She splashed water onto her face, trying to erase the memory of how his dream kisses tasted, the feel of his lips hard, hot and demanding on hers, the tickle of that little patch of beard below his lip and his hands, big and strong, pushing the sweatshirt roughly from her body. She looked up slowly, water dripping from her chin and eyelashes and murmured, "Oh my God." She pressed the hand towel to her face and whispered, "Get a grip, Gilmore. It's Luke."

She lowered the towel slowly and whispered softly, "Oh no, no, no. You are not doing this." She looked up and met her own gaze in the mirror. "You are not going to start obsessing over Luke," she told herself, "He's Luke, your friend. And he'll never be anything more than a friend, ever," she said firmly. She dropped the towel on the vanity and turned toward the tub. She started the water running, and waited impatiently for it to warm up before she stripped out of her pajamas and stepped into the hot spray.

By the time she finished her shower, she was feeling better. She was back in control, back to normal, or almost normal. She quickly went through her scaled down weekend makeup and hair routine and dressed for her outing to the rummage sale. She went downstairs and poked her head into Rory's room, only to find it empty, the bed neatly made, a stack of books sitting on her nightstand precisely aligned with the edge of the table. She turned and saw that Rory had left her some coffee in the pot, and sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she would not have to go into Luke's that particular morning. She dropped her Pop Tarts into the toaster and poured a mug of coffee. While she waited for her breakfast to warm, she tapped her nails against the ceramic mug and wondered idly if Luke was really into the Elle McPherson kind of pretty, all tawny curls and legs a mile long. She glanced down at her own denim clad legs and studied them critically, and jumping when the toaster popped and her breakfast sprang into view.

With a disgusted shake of her head, she dropped the Pop Tarts onto a paper towel and carried them to the table. She ate distractedly, breaking off bits and pieces and carrying them to her mouth on auto-pilot. She couldn't really figure out why this was bothering her so much. She could blame the dream, but in all honesty, she had been thinking about it ever since Sookie and Patty first mentioned Rachel's name. She needed more info. Once she knew what had really happened with them, maybe her curiosity would be satisfied, and she could let it drop. _Stupid curiosity. That was all it was_, she thought with a nod.

But where could she get more information without arousing suspicions? She knew she couldn't pump Sookie for more information, her antennae were already up. She knew that she had to be careful, because contrary to popular belief, she wasn't as oblivious to Luke's interest as she liked to let on. She had seen the spark of jealousy in his eyes when she told him that the dad from Chilton had asked her out. She could admit to herself that her own interest had been piqued for a while now. Sookie had made many, many comments about Luke having a 'thing' for her. Of course, when Lorelai first mentioned Luke in anything other than a friendly way, Rory quickly put the kibosh on that, pointing out that if she dated Luke and they broke up, they couldn't eat at Luke's anymore. She insisted that she date Al instead, because his food sucked. Then there were her mother's comments at both Rory's birthday party and the hospital. It also didn't help that on both occasions, Lorelai had found herself wrapped in Luke's embrace, once in acceptance of her gratitude, the other offering comfort and solace.

She knew that in a way, Rory was right. She was a dating disaster waiting to happen, and Luke was far too important to them, as more than just their food purveyor, to be trifled with. But, no matter how hard she pushed them down and tried to ignore them, she couldn't just make the feelings go away. The way her heart began to beat a little faster when he leaned in close to her in Doose's while they spied on Dean. She could smell him, the scent of bacon and fried foods, mixing with some kind of woodsy aftershave or cologne, and that slightly musky scent of man. _But wait, _she thought with a jolt,_ Luke hardly ever shaves, why would he use aftershave? Is it possible that Luke just smells like that?_ she wondered as she crumbled a bit of Pop Tart crust between her fingers. She shook her head violently to dislodge the thought before it took up residence in her brain and became her new obsession of the day.

No, this attraction between her and Luke wasn't a new thing. And it wasn't a big thing, like an anvil dropping out of the sky and falling on her head. It was a bunch of little things. There were thousands of little looks, hundreds of flirty comments and a handful of heart fluttering smiles exchanged each week. There were confidences exchanged at unexpected times, words of support offered when it felt like her legs were cut out from under her, and laughter. The snarky comments that always made her giggle, even if it was just on the inside, and the easy mockery that marked their every exchange. God, she loved that. Sometimes she even caught herself thinking about it as socially acceptable foreplay. She wondered idly if Luke got a little chattier when he was naked.

Crumbling the paper towel in disgust as she polished off the last of the Pop Tarts, she stood up from the table and decided that she needed to get out of the house, away from these thoughts. She looked on the desk for her purse, but came up empty. She remembered with a heavy sigh that she had carried it up to her room when they had dragged in from that fiasco of a concert outing last night. She trotted back up to her room and spotted the purse lying on the chair with the discarded leather pants and Rachel's sweatshirt. Carefully avoiding the shirt as if it were a snake, Lorelai reached out and snagged the strap of the purse with one finger. She looped it over her shoulder and turned to leave, but stopped to look back at the rhinestone decorated sweatshirt again. Gingerly, she lifted it from the chair, and held it up in front of her, trying to picture Elle McPherson in it, but failing miserably.

As she studied the sweatshirt, she realized that she had the perfect opening with Patty, since she was here when Lorelai told them about Luke's freak out. She nodded as she carefully folded the sweatshirt and tucked it under her arm. Patty would know everything. Patty always knew. And then, she would give it back to Luke, who was obviously not ready to part with it yet. She walked slowly down the stairs, lost in thoughts of Luke's long broken heart. She wondered if he still loved her, if he was still waiting for her. That would explain a lot of things. His cranky disposition, for example, could be the direct result of a distinct lack of lovin'. And maybe also his cynical attitude about life and love, and his mysterious lack of a love life, were the product of a broken heart and instead of one made of stone. _That had to be it_, she reasoned.

_Poor Luke,_ she thought sadly as she walked toward the square. _Poor Luke,_ she thought again, this time with a derisive snort. _Face it, the guy could have practically any woman he wanted. Well, except those who were allergic to flannel,_ she corrected herself. _No, he chose this. He wants to live like a hermit. He doesn't want anyone else, not really._ That's what held him back from asking her out last week. She knew he was going to, she could see it in his eyes, read it in the way he leaned a little closer to her, and hear it in the deep, intimate timbre of his voice. But then they were interrupted by Mrs. Kim. She tried to give him an opening the next day. Hell, she gave him an opening big enough to drive three semi trucks through, but he didn't take it. He must have had time to think it over. He must have had time to remember who and what he was waiting for.

_But how long did he plan to wait?_ she wondered as she kicked a rock along the sidewalk. Obviously, it had been years since Rachel had been in Stars Hollow. She wracked her brain, trying to remember a time when Luke had gone out of town for even a few days, but came up empty. Of course, they could still be in touch. They could talk on the phone every night for all she knew. Maybe Rachel sent him love letters written on pretty stationary, scented with her perfume and sealed with a kiss. It was possible. Possible, but not probable, she reasoned. If she was still in contact, and if Luke was still in love with her, he would have gone to get her. Or at least gone with her. But he was here, and she was not. That was all Lorelai really knew for sure.

She crossed the street and walked over to the part of the square where the rummage sale was in progress. She spotted Lane and Rory pawing through piles of clothing and headed over to them, careful to keep the folded sweatshirt tucked casually under her arm. "Hey," she called as she approached.

Lane waved a little and Rory replied with a, "Hey," of her own.

"Hey, you didn't wake me up," Lorelai said petulantly.

Rory shrugged and said, "I set the clock."

Lorelai smiled evilly as she nodded and explained, "Yes, but see the clock stops ringing once I throw it against the wall giving me ample time to fall back to sleep, you however never stop yapping no matter how hard I throw you, thus ensuring the wake up process."

Lane quickly ditched them to go on a quest for soda and gum, and Lorelai turned to Rory, full of apologetic explanations for the way she had gone off on those stupid girls who ditched the concert the previous night. Rory was fine, though, letting the whole incident roll off her back. She simply shrugged and said, "I've always thought 'easy' is completely overrated."

Lorelai grinned proudly as she said, "Oh, that's my twisted girl."

"Plus Paris decided to let me split the debate time with her," Rory said happily.

"Wow!" Lorelai answered enthusiastically. She stopped and frowned for a second before she asked, "Wait, why am I wowing?"

"Because splitting debate time with Paris is like doing that whole 'spitting in your palm and shaking hands' friendship oath thing," Rory explained.

Lorelai nodded and asked, "But way less gross?"

"Yeah," Rory agreed.

Lorelai smiled and said, "Oh, good, I'm glad then." She glanced around and spotted Luke pawing through a rack of clothing and blinked in surprise. She glanced down at the sweatshirt tucked under her arm and said distractedly, "Oh, uh, I'll be right back."

"Okay," Rory answered as she went back to browsing.

Lorelai wove her way through the shoppers and walked up next to Luke, clutching the sweatshirt in her hand, tucked behind her back. "Hey," she said gently, trying not to startle him.

Luke turned to look at her and said, "Oh, hey."

"Find anything good?" she asked as he stepped away from the rack.

Luke nodded and held up a small plastic bag as he said, "Oh yeah, I got some refrigerator magnets shaped like sushi for a nickel, so basically I scored."

Lorelai grinned and said as she walked along beside him, "Oh good."

Luke looked over at her sheepishly and said in a low voice, "Hey, look, about that thing that happened the other day…"

"Oh forget it," Lorelai said quickly, careful to keep her hand hidden behind her back.

Luke shook his head and said, "I was a jerk, I didn't mean it."

"I know, really," she assured him.

Luke shrugged and said, "Yeah well, I am sorry."

Lorelai turned to him, holding the folded sweatshirt in her outstretched hand. "I wanted to give this back to you," she began.

Luke shook his head as he protested, "Oh no, you bought it."

"I know, but it's yours, and I didn't know," she explained lamely.

Luke stopped walking and asked, "You didn't know?"

"About the former owner," she answered gently.

"Oh," Luke said as he looked down at the sweatshirt, clearly embarrassed.

"If I had, I wouldn't have flaunted it in front of you like that," Lorelai said quickly.

Luke forced a smile and said, "Hey, it's not a big deal, I was having a bad day, that's it. Now I got magnetic sushi and all is right with the world," he joked.

"Okay good," Lorelai said, clearly not buying a word he said. "So here," she said as she held it out to him again. "It obviously means something to you," she added in a sincere tone.

Luke looked at the sweatshirt warily as he asked, "But you have to let things go eventually right?"

"Yeah, but sometimes you need a little something to remind you. I mean you wouldn't want to forget everything would you?" she asked as she looked up at him questioningly.

Luke glanced down, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips as he said, "No there was some stuff that I definitely would not want to forget."

Lorelai nodded her understanding and said, "Well here, so you don't forget."

Luke took the shirt and looked up at her from under his long dark lashes as he asked gruffly, "Thanks. Can I pay you for it?"

"In coffee, absolutely," Lorelai answered with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Luke nodded and said, "Alright." He took a few steps away from her and turned back as he glanced from the shirt to Lorelai. "I'm not pining, you know," he told her firmly.

Lorelai nodded quickly and said, "I know."

"Just remembering," he reminded her.

"Got it," she answered.

"Remembering is not pining," he insisted.

"You're absolutely right," Lorelai answered gravely.

Luke looked down at the shirt again and said, "It's just like a memento, like restaurant matches."

Lorelai smiled sadly and gestured toward the shirt as she said, "I can see the resemblance."

"Ok, well good," Luke said with a nod.

"Bye Luke," Lorelai said gently.

"Bye," he said as he turned and walked back toward the diner.

Lorelai stood watching him walk away, completely oblivious to the attention they had drawn from the shoppers nearby. As soon as Luke stepped off of the curb and began to cross the street, Patty and Babette swooped in. "What did he say, dear?" Patty asked.

"Has he heard from Rachel?" Babette chimed in.

"Does he still love her?" Patty asked quickly.

"Of course he still loves her," Babette scoffed.

"Not necessarily," Patty said, shooting a meaningful look at Lorelai.

"Oooh," Babette breathed as she turned to look at Lorelai speculatively too.

"What?" Lorelai demanded. "I just gave him the sweatshirt back, that's all," she insisted.

"Oh, nothing, dear," Patty said, recovering quickly.

"Poor thing," Babette said sympathetically as she turned to watch as Luke walked into the diner.

"Such a sweet boy. A good man," Patty corrected herself with a nod.

"He is a good man," Lorelai said neutrally.

"Such a big heart," Babette said as she gestured wildly.

"And such a nice tush," Patty purred with a sly smile. "Too bad he can't just meet some nice girl to take his mind off of Rachel," she drawled.

"You guys stop," Lorelai said, holding up a hand.

"What?" Patty asked innocently.

"I just gave him the shirt back, that's it. I didn't know whose it was, and I didn't mean to upset him," Lorelai explained.

"Luke saw Lorelai wearing Rachel's sweatshirt," Patty told Babette with a knowing smile.

"Ahhh, I see," Babette said, nodding furiously.

"No, no! Nothing to see," Lorelai said quickly.

Babette shook her head sadly and said, "No wonder he was upset. What a shock that had to be, huh?" she screeched as she elbowed Patty.

"Indeed," Patty said through pursed lips.

"You guys are nuts," Lorelai said shaking her head. "Shouldn't you be staking out stretches of desert in New Mexico looking for UFOs or something?" she asked as she looked around nervously. Finally she spotted Lane crossing the street with a drink in her hand and heading toward the tables at the far end of the sale. "I have to find Rory," she told them as she turned on her heel and fled into the crowd.

She managed to avoid Luke and going Luke's for the rest of the day by throwing an imaginary craving for Chinese on Rory and ordering up a feast that would have made Madame Mao proud. While Rory spent the evening studying, she lolled on the couch, lost in thought.

_He looked so sad_, she thought as she flipped over to Nick at Nite. _Defeated_, she thought worriedly. _Did he still love her? Was he just waiting for her to come back?_ She hated the sad lines around his eyes, and the tight drawn smiles. She hated the slump of his shoulders and his slow gait as he walked away clutching the sweatshirt tightly in his hand. She hated the downturned corners of his mouth, and the blue eyes dulled with painful memories. She hated that sweatshirt. She hated Rachel for hurting him. But most of all, she hated that she couldn't stop thinking about him.

With a disgusted flick of her wrist she turned off the TV and tossed the remote onto the stack of catalogues on the coffee table. She pushed herself up out of the sofa and shuffled down the hall to call a quick goodnight to Rory. She turned toward the stairs and dashed up them quickly, as if she were trying to outrun her own thoughts. Unfortunately, Lorelai knew that her brain was much quicker than her feet. She wondered how long it would be before the rest of her followed its lead.

XXXX

Luke trudged up the steps to the diner and unlocked the door, shaking his head at himself. He locked it behind him and left the 'back in a minute' sign taped to the glass. He walked through the deserted dining room and through the curtain that hid the steps to his apartment. Climbing them quickly, he pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the frosted glass door at the top. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him, looking down at the plastic bag and sweatshirt clutched in his hands. He tossed the bag onto the kitchen table, carefully unfolded the sweatshirt Lorelai had returned to him, and draped it over the back of the chair. Luke closed his eyes for a moment as he took a step back, placing a comfortable foot of distance between himself and the clash of emotion the garment evoked.

He tilted his head and studied the pattern of the rhinestones for a minute, remembering the day last week when he realized that it still hung in his closet. He had congratulated himself as he pulled it from the hanger it had resided on for the past five years without a twinge. It had felt so good to finally place it in that bag filled with worn flannels and faded jeans. He shook his head slightly as he reached for it, lifting it from the chair, and unthinkingly holding it up to his nose. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, knowing that the scent locked into the fibers now would be Lorelai's and not Rachel's, but still feeling a shock to his system as he drank it in. His eyes snapped open and he dropped the sweatshirt to the table top as if it had burned him.

He reached for the plastic bag and pulled out the ceramic discs painted to look like sushi and sporting strips of magnet glued to the back. He shifted them in one hand, mixing up the selection of fake seafood in his palm, as he dropped down into a chair and stared at the sequined sweatshirt on the table. The truth was that he didn't really know why he reacted so violently to the sight of Lorelai wearing it. It wasn't like he was still in love with Rachel. Contrary to popular belief, he hadn't been for a long time. As far as Luke was concerned, the town could think what they wanted, he wasn't pining. His love life was none of their business. He should have learned that lesson when he was seventeen and made the mistake of cutting under the bleachers at the homecoming game to get to the concession stand and suddenly found Carrie Duncan's tongue down his throat. Of course, there was no way of keeping his relationship with Rachel quiet. It had lasted too long, gotten too serious and raised expectations. When those expectations went unmet, Luke got to live out his disappointment in the public eye, something he had vowed never to do again. He dated, although everyone thought that he didn't, but it wasn't often, or anything remotely serious. In reality, he was careful not to date anyone local, discreet to the point of compulsion, and all in all, was only marginally less monk-like than they all thought he was.

He fingered the sleeve of the sweatshirt as he continued to shift the sushi magnets in his left hand. No, he wasn't in love with Rachel anymore. He did still love her, but only in that fond way that you remember someone you haven't seen or heard from in a very long time. He hadn't loved her for years. Almost four years to be exact. He knew it was probably stupid, his feelings for a woman that had once been his world were almost completely negated by his feelings for another woman who was nothing more than a friend, but he had no further explanation for it. He loved Lorelai. He had almost since the day she had blown into his diner and turned his world upside down. Maybe that was why. Maybe it was because he couldn't stand to see the woman who was the star of all of his new hopes and dreams wearing a shirt that once belonged to the woman who had crushed those same hopes and dreams so long ago.

And what did he do about it? He freaked out and yelled at her like a lunatic. It was just such a shock, seeing her sitting there wearing it. It felt like he'd been punched in the gut. Like she was rubbing his face in the fact that he couldn't have her and he couldn't have Rachel either. He knew it was ridiculous. Lorelai probably didn't know anything more about him and Rachel than the town's welcome wagon included in the 'welcome to the neighborhood' packet of gossip she was sure to have received when she bought the house next to Babette. But, God, it hurt to see her in it. Like some kind of cosmic slap in the face meant to keep him down or keep him in his place. It especially hurt because he had come so close just a week ago.

_So close and yet so far,_ he thought with a snort as he yanked his fingers away from the sweatshirt and dropped the magnetic sushi to the table top with a clatter. He scraped his chair back and shrugged out of his green army coat. _Nothing was really any different,_ he reminded himself. _He hadn't done it, she hadn't said yes, or worse, no. Life was just the same today was it was three Thursdays ago, or two Mondays, for that matter,_ he reasoned.

Luke turned to leave the apartment and jogged down the steps. He strode to the door, flipped the lock and tore down the note he had taped there. He went behind the counter, grabbed a rag, and began to wipe the already clean counter again. He glanced up at the spot where she had sat the night she had been set up with Jackson's runt of a cousin, marveling at how good it had felt. Talking, teasing, playing cards and watching a new romance begin to unfold in front of them. They were swept up in the moment. _Wishful thinking,_ he told himself for the thirteen millionth time since that night. But, he also knew that if Mrs. Kim hadn't walked in at that particular moment, he would have done it. His fate would have been sealed. His questions would have been answered once and for all.

He'd seen it, the spark of interest that flashed occasionally in her bright blue eyes. He sensed that her compulsion for flirting with him didn't stem only from her desire to get her way. And that night, as she looked up at him, he knew that there would be no better opportunity. Before he could stop himself, the words were coming out, only to be lost in the flurry of demands made by a frightened and irate mother. She came in the next day, but he knew that the moment was gone. She smiled and joked nervously, and Luke could tell that she was uncertain of how to proceed. So, he made it easy on her, backing down and making a lame comment about playing poker again. And for a split second, he thought he might have seen a flicker of disappointment cross her face, before she forced a laugh and struggled to talk normally to him. And Luke had spent the rest of the day kicking himself in the ass. That look played over and over again in his head, mocking him for his cowardice, taunting him with the possibility.

And now it was replaced by another look, a soft smile of concerned sympathy. She had handed him that stupid sweatshirt and stood there in her pretty pink turtleneck, gazing at him with eyes filled with pity. And what had he done? He took it back, clutching it in his hand even though he wanted to turn and toss it into the nearest trashcan. He stood there like a dolt, listening to her justify his need to hang on to something that had already lost all meaning for him. And then he told her that he wasn't pining. _What an idiot,_ he thought with a snort as he tossed the rag onto the shelf below the counter and carried a few stray dishes back to the kitchen. "I'm not pining, I'm just remembering," he mimicked himself mercilessly. He slammed the dishes into the dishwasher and stood up with his hands on his hips. "Restaurant matches! Brilliant, you moron," he muttered to himself. He heard the bells jingle, but knew instinctively that it wasn't Lorelai. He always knew when it was. How? Well, he wasn't sure of that either. He stepped out of the kitchen and greeted the customers with his customary, "Be right with you," as he searched beside the register for his order pad and pencil.

The day wore on, a typical slow Sunday. When no one needed his attention, he found himself staring out the window, watching for a glimpse of a pink sweater, looking for the grey hat pulled down over dark curls. When no one was around, he amused himself by dealing hand after hand of solitaire on the countertop, and wishing he was playing poker instead. By eight that evening, he gave up and flipped the sign to 'closed.' As he cleaned up, he tried not to dwell on the fact that she never came in that day. Sometimes, rarely, but occasionally, there were days like that. The fact that he could easily remember the last day that Lorelai hadn't come into the diner, only highlighted what he perceived to be his pathetic existence. A part of him wished that he was different. A part of him wanted to say, 'screw it,' and take off to go get drunk and chat up some poor unsuspecting girl in a neighboring town, one that wouldn't think of him as, 'Luke the diner guy.' One that wouldn't look at him pityingly the way Lorelai had earlier. Preferably, one that would look at him and think, maybe this guy is worth a shot. But he knew it would matter in the long run.

He refilled the salt and pepper shakers, restocked the sweetener and sugar packets, and swept and mopped the floor, but delayed washing out the coffee pots until the last moment. He turned out the lights and walked slowly up the stairs to his empty apartment. The first thing he saw was the sweatshirt he had tossed down on the table earlier. He picked it up and carried it over to the sink. He opened the cabinet beneath it, stuffed the sweatshirt into the trash and slammed the cabinet door shut. He turned, resting his hands on his hips as he spied the magnets he had shelled out a nickel for that morning. He glanced over at his bare refrigerator and wondered what had possessed him to buy them. He had no carefully colored artwork to display, or notes to leave for anyone. He kept his bills in an old napkin holder on the counter, and never ordered take out for any reason. He scooped the magnets off of the edge of the table into the palm of his hand, giving them a careless shake to hear the sound of their rattle in the silent apartment. He turned and opened the cabinet again, dumping them into the trash on top of the sweatshirt, and closed the door with quiet finality.

He pulled a bottle of beer from the fridge and turned on the television for company as he dropped tiredly into his chair. He took a long pull of his beer and then shook his head as he remembered his earlier thought about going out to meet a girl. He glanced around the tiny apartment filled with relics from his father's era and snorted. "Yeah, I should go out, pick up a hot girl and bring her back here to my swingin' bachelor pad for a night of unbridled lust," he said dryly as he lifted his bottle in a toast to himself and toed off his boots. "I'll get right to that," he muttered as he tossed his hat onto the couch and settled in to watch the end of the Celtics game.

XXXX

Lorelai sat at the counter at Luke's fending off Rory's commentary on her new hat and sparkly sweatshirt when the next thing she knew, Luke was standing in front of them holding a coffee pot and completely freaking out. "What the hell do you think you're wearing?" he demanded.

"A hat," she answered with a smile.

"Take that off," he said angrily.

"What?" she asked, shooting Rory a sidelong glance.

Luke pointed at her and said, "Now that is not yours, take it off."

"But I'll have hat hair," Lorelai said incredulously.

"I'm talking about the sweatshirt," he said, his voice rising in anger.

"Luke calm down," Lorelai said, turning to Rory for support, but finding the stool next to hers empty.

"That is not yours," Luke said adamantly.

"No, I found it in the bags of stuff for the sale," Lorelai said as she glanced around nervously and found herself completely alone with the angry diner owner.

"Oh, so you just find something and then you take it is that it?" he asked, his voice softening with hurt.

"No, I paid for it," she said helplessly.

Luke blinked rapidly, swallowed the lump in his throat and looked away as he asked, "Oh, so that makes it alright?"

Lorelai shook her head and said in a bewildered tone, "It makes it legal. What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing. Nothing is the matter," he grumbled as he turned his head away from her.

"Luke..." Lorelai started to say as she slid from her stood and moved to the other side of the counter.

"Take it off," he whispered a desperate plea.

"But, Luke," she protested even as she reached out to gently touch his arm.

"It's Rachel's," he said in a ragged voice, his blue eyes searching hers for understanding.

"Luke," she said softly, but he simply closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Oh, Luke," she sighed as she pressed her hands to his cheeks, smoothing the lines around his eyes, caressing him gently. She waited until he lifted his head and then pressed her lips softly to his. Luke kept his eyes closed, surrendering silently to her gentle ministrations. Lorelai angled her head, deepening the kiss as his lips yielded beneath hers. She wound her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in the soft curls beneath the bill of his cap.

Keeping his eyes tightly shut, Luke encircled her with his arms, pulling her against his warm, solid body. He groaned softly into her mouth as Lorelai's tongue found his and tentatively stroked it. He slipped his hands up under the sweatshirt, bunching the hem of her t-shirt as he sought the soft heat of her skin. He tore his mouth from hers and began to blaze a trail of fiery kisses across her jaw and down to her neck, sucking the tender skin into his mouth as he burrowed under her dark curls. Lorelai clung to his broad shoulders breathlessly, awash in desire as she arched into his body, desperate to feel him against her. The bells chimed loudly, and Taylor walked in. He stepped over to them and tapped Lorelai's shoulder officiously. "Excuse me, Lorelai," he said impatiently.

"Lorelai?" Luke asked as his eyes popped open and he immediately released her, sending her stumbling back into Taylor.

Lorelai looked around in dismay as Luke stared at her with a horrified expression and Taylor babbled something about costumes for the elementary school spring assembly. She nodded her assent without hearing a word, unable to drag her eyes from Luke. Taylor left as quickly as he came, the bells above the door jingling to signal his departure. "Luke," Lorelai said softly.

"It's not yours," Luke said as he gestured toward the sweatshirt helplessly.

"I'll give it back," she said quickly as she started to unzip it.

"It's Rachel's," he said blankly.

"Here," she offered as she dragged the sweatshirt from her arms and held it out to him.

Luke took it from her, bunching the material in his clenched fist as he said in a hard voice, "You're not Rachel.

"No," she whispered as she shook her head.

"You'll never be Rachel," he said as he turned and walked away from her, disappearing behind the curtain at the end of the counter.

Lorelai opened her eyes and slowly turned her head to look at her brand new alarm clock. She groaned aloud in the pre-dawn darkness and whispered, "Stupid Taylor," as she rolled over and tried to snuggle into her pillow. Thirteen minutes later, she watched wide eyed as the clock turned to 6:00 and wondered if it was too early to start the coffee maker. She flopped over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling and told herself that she certainly wasn't going to Luke's for breakfast.

tbc


	2. Pity Party of One

**Pity Party of One**

Luke's eyes opened as the alarm went off the following morning. He knew he had dreamed of her. He always knew, even though he could never remember the dreams. All he knew was that this one had been interrupted at an inopportune time. He reached over and groped at the clock, finally hitting the right button to silence it and flopping back onto his pillow. He tried desperately to cling to the last wisps of it, hoping to recall just one detail, but failing. It was so frustrating. He could recount dreams he had about beating Taylor to a pulp that would date back ten years. He could catalogue each time Patty, or Kirk, or Babette or the myriad of other bozos that haunted his days popped up in his head at night, but he could never, ever remember what he dreamed about Lorelai. He only knew that he had. He could tell because he woke up with a smile and a strange sense of calm that belied the semi aroused, or sometimes fully aroused state of his body. He could have taken just the remnants of one of those dreams and been happy, but they always eluded him. Just as Lorelai did.

Luke tossed back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed as he lazily scratched his stomach and then stretched the muscles in his neck and back. Pushing himself up with a grunt, he trudged off to the shower to get ready for the day. He was certain that Lorelai would be in that morning for breakfast, since she hadn't come in the night before. The days when he knew she would show up always started out a little easier.

Shortly after seven that morning, he caught a flash of plaid passing the diner, and saw Rory hunched over under the weight of her backpack as she hurried for her bus. He set the coffee pot on the counter and watched as the girl climbed aboard as his heart dropped at the realization that they were probably running late and Lorelai probably wasn't coming in for breakfast. He sighed softly as he turned to retrieve an order from the window and carried on with his day. As the breakfast rush thinned, he told himself that she would probably be in for lunch, and felt his mood brighten a little. He needed to see her. He wanted to talk to her, to joke and tease and to let her know that he really was fine. He wanted to see her smile and flirt. He never wanted to see the pity in her eyes again.

XXXX

Lorelai strolled into the kitchen at the Independence Inn in search of her sixth cup of coffee. She was as tightly wound as a violin string, her cup clattering to the countertop as she reached for the pot of liquid gold. Sookie looked up from the garlic she was mincing and asked, "Everything okay, Sweetie?"

"Huh? Yeah, everything's fine," Lorelai said with a wave of her hand.

Sookie studied her friend for a moment and then said, "No, it's not. What's bothering you?"

"Nothing," Lorelai said defensively as she quickly filled her mug and replaced the pot. "Just really busy," she said as she snagged the cup and headed for the swinging door.

Five minutes later, Sookie tapped on the office door and then opened it, holding a plate with a brownie on it out in front of her as a precaution. "Can I come in?" she called. When she saw Lorelai sitting at her desk with her head in her hands, she stepped quickly into the office and closed the door behind her. "Okay, spill. What's going on with you?" she asked worriedly.

"I'm jealous," Lorelai whispered.

"What?" Sookie asked as she set the plate on the desk and sat down in the guest chair. "Jealous of what, Hon?" she asked gently.

"Luke," Lorelai said softly as she slowly raised her eyes to look at her friend.

Sookie frowned as she shook her head and asked, "Luke? What did Luke get that you're jealous of?"

"Rachel. I gave him the sweatshirt back yesterday," Lorelai said as she lowered her arms to the desk and folded them in front of her. "You were right. I'm jealous," she admitted.

Sookie grinned and bounced in her seat as she squealed, "This is great! You like Luke. Oh, thank God! Finally, you see it!"

"Sookie," Lorelai tried to interrupt.

"He's so into you, you're so into him! It's perfect!" she said as she clapped her hands together happily.

"It's not perfect," Lorelai retorted as she shook her head adamantly.

"Of course it is," Sookie said as her smile began to fade. "Why isn't it perfect?" she asked anxiously.

"He's in love with her," Lorelai said as she gestured wildly, flinging her arm out and knocking over a framed picture of Rory and Mia taken in front of the inn.

"No he's not," Sookie scoffed.

"Yes, he is," Lorelai argued, fixing her friend with a pointed stare.

"She's been gone for years," Sookie said dismissively.

"Doesn't mean his feelings for her are gone," Lorelai shot back.

Sookie shook her head and said, "You're nuts. He's crazy about you."

"Sookie, he wanted it back. As a memento," Lorelai said sadly.

"Well, okay, so he wanted something to remember her by," Sookie conceded. "Haven't you ever kept anything that reminded you of someone?" she asked. "It doesn't mean anything, Lorelai," she said firmly.

"I don't know, Sook. His face, he looked so sad," Lorelai said with a wince.

"He put it in the bag of clothes to begin with," Sookie argued.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Maybe he didn't realize that he had. Maybe he didn't know until I showed up wearing it and he freaked out."

"Maybe he freaked out because the girl he likes was wearing his old girlfriend's shirt," Sookie insisted.

A spark of hope ignited in Lorelai's heart when Sookie inadvertently confirmed Patty and Babette's suspicions about Luke's meltdown. "You think?" she asked quietly.

"It's possible," Sookie said with a nod. "How was he when you saw him this morning?" she asked.

"I didn't go in there this morning," Lorelai admitted.

"You didn't? You go there every morning," Sookie said in a bewildered tone.

"I couldn't," Lorelai said as she help up her palms in a helpless gesture. "It's all I can think about. I've even been dreaming about it. I just couldn't go in there," she said with a grimace.

"You've been dreaming about him?" Sookie asked as she latched onto that little bit of information. "What kind of dreams?" she asked breathlessly.

Lorelai gave her a look and said, "Those kinds of dreams. Kind of."

"Kind of?" Sookie asked, dying for more details.

"Well, kissing and then, I don't know. They end up with him telling me that I'm not Rachel," she said as she sank back into her chair with a defeated sigh.

"You're not Rachel," Sookie pointed out helpfully.

"Thank you," Lorelai said dryly as she shook her head in disbelief.

"I mean, well, you're not. You're Lorelai, and Luke is so into you," Sookie said simply. "I don't know what else to tell you. He is," she said with a shrug as she crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly.

"I don't know. I don't know what to do, or what to say," Lorelai fretted.

"Can't you just go in there and talk to him?" Sookie asked. "I mean, like you usually do," she said quickly. "Just, keep your eyes open. Watch for it, you'll see," she said reassuringly as she reached over and patted the back of Lorelai's hand.

"Maybe," Lorelai said slowly as she tried to formulate a plan of action.

"Just go in, get a burger, flirt your butt off like you two always do," Sookie said with a giggle.

"We do not flirt," Lorelai said half heartedly.

"Much," Sookie added with a smirk.

"Just go in there," Lorelai repeated as she chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Sure, go at dinner, when it's busier. That way, you don't have to talk a lot, just get a feel for things," Sookie said with an encouraging nod.

"A feel for things," Lorelai murmured.

Sookie giggled and said, "I think there's an echo in here," as she stood up and walked toward the door. "You know where to find me. Eat your brownie, you need your strength," she said as she left the room wearing a big cheesy smile.

Lorelai looked down at the brownie and mumbled, "You said it, Sister," as she picked it up and took a huge bite.

XXXX

As the lunch crowd dwindled down to the afternoon lull, Luke started to get worried. It was unusual for Lorelai to go this long without even stopping by for coffee. He wracked his brain, trying to remember what he had said to her at the rummage sale, parsing each sentence for subtext, wondering what he could have said or done to make her angry with him. Luke paused as he cleared and wiped the now empty tables and stood staring out of the window. He could see the exact spot where they had stood. He apologized, she gave him the sweatshirt, he took it and made his lame excuses, and then she smiled that, 'Poor pathetic Luke,' smile and he walked away. With a sigh, Luke picked up the stack of dirty dishes that he had gathered on the table. As he carried them to the kitchen, he spied Patty walking from the direction of her studio, greeting passers by as she went, and knew that he was soon to have company.

When the bells chimed, Luke came out of the kitchen with a pitcher of iced tea in hand and called, "Hey, Patty," as he approached the table where she tiredly lowered herself into a chair.

"Hello, dear," Patty said in a worn voice.

Luke smirked and asked, "You get beat up by little girls in tutus?"

Patty rolled her eyes and said, "No, today was the first day of my lunchtime cardio-kickboxing class."

Luke's eyebrows shot up as he poured her glass of tea and asked, "You're teaching cardio-kickboxing?"

"No dear, Billy Blanks is teaching it, but I have to provide the facility for all of those grunting, sweating bodies," she said with a sigh. "As much as I love to look at the man, there are other things I would much rather do to get him grunting and sweating," she said with a slow smile.

"Uh huh," he grunted. "What can I do for you?" he asked. When he saw the sly gleam in her eye, he amended his question quickly saying, "I mean, what do you want to eat?" When Patty let out a throaty chuckle, Luke sighed heavily and asked in a carefully controlled voice, "Patty, what kind of food would you like for me to prepare for your lunch?"

"Just a large Caesar salad, dear. Dressing on the side," she added as he turned back toward the kitchen. "Oh, and Luke, would you throw a little grilled chicken breast on top?" she called after him.

"Got it," he called back without turning around.

When he returned ten minutes later, he found Patty sitting with her chin in her hand staring out into the square. "Here you go," he said as he placed the bowl in front of her. He then slid a small bowl of dressing next to it and said, "Everything okay?"

"Too long," Patty murmured as she was jolted from her reverie.

Luke scowled and said, "Well, I had to do your breast."

Patty immediately brightened as she chuckled. "No, Sweetheart, you can always take as much time as you need with my breast," she purred.

"Patty," Luke groaned as he moved to walk away.

Fast as lightning, Patty reached out and grabbed his arm to keep him there. "No dear, it's been too long for you," she said as she looked up at him solemnly.

"What?" Luke asked as his brow creased in confusion.

"Luke, you need to get back out there. I know you were disappointed by Rachel, Sweetheart, but it's time," she said gently.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Luke asked, shaking his head vehemently.

"You are a young, handsome, extremely virile man, Luke," Patty insisted. "You can't go on like this anymore."

"Go on like what? You don't even know what you're talking about," Luke said impatiently.

Patty shook her head sadly and asked, "Aren't you ever going to make your move?"

"Make my move on what?" he snapped, trying to fight back the rush of color that he knew would be flooding his cheeks.

"Lorelai, dear," Patty said with a heavy sigh. "You two have been dancing around each other for years. Lord, the looks alone are enough to melt the clothes right off of your back," she said as she shook her head. "It's time, Luke," she repeated.

"You're seeing things again, Patty. Your blood sugar must be low," Luke said as he tried to disengage his arm from her grasp.

"Darling, everyone sees it. You want the girl. The girl wants you. Do something," she said in an exasperated tone.

Luke snorted and said, "Lorelai and I are just friends, Patty. As a matter of fact, I'm considering having that tattooed on my forehead," he told her in a studiously bored tone. He looked down at her, saw the genuine concern written all over her face and softened a little. "I'm fine, Patty. You don't need to worry about me, okay?" he asked gruffly. He gave her a curt nod and said, "Enjoy your salad. Yell if you need anything," he called as he sought refuge in the kitchen.

Patty picked up her fork as she watched his retreat with her usual appreciation for his form. She poured a bit of dressing over her salad and murmured, "Poor, poor, boy."

XXXX

That evening, Lorelai plastered on her game face and swung through the door of the diner at a full clip, setting the bells a jingling. "Helloooo?" she called toward the kitchen as she took her habitual seat at the counter and dropped her purse on the stool next to her.

"Keep your pants on!" Luke called back in his best cranky tone, but was unsuccessful at suppressing the smile of relief that spread over his face.

"Nope, they're coming off," she called back to him. She turned to the man sitting on the other end of the counter and said, "Not really, but he doesn't need to know that. That's just between you and me," she said, favoring him with a wink before turning her attention back to the doorway. "My, has it suddenly gotten chilly in here? Do you feel a draft?" she called into the kitchen.

Luke stepped into the doorway wiping his hands on a towel as he said, "No, but the nice men will be here soon with a pretty white jacket with really long sleeves that'll keep you warm."

"Hey," she said, trying to mask her nervousness with a bright smile.

"Hey," he answered. He dropped the towel on the back counter and asked, "Coffee?"

Lorelai gasped as she pressed her hand to her heart and asked, "Am I that forgettable?"

Luke smirked as he set a mug in front of her and said, "Well, it has been a while." He poured the magical brew into the mug and asked, "What was your name again?"

"Rachel," she blurted before she could edit herself.

Luke jerked his head back and blinked at her in shock. "What?" he asked incredulously.

"Uh, Raquel," she answered with a nervous giggle. "Raquel Welch," she added for good measure.

Luke nodded slowly and said, "Uh, yeah, sure. Didn't recognize you without the, um, animal skin bikini thing." He cleared his throat and pulled the order pad from the waistband of his jeans as he asked, "You ordering?"

Lorelai fought to keep her eyes from drifting down to the spot where the order pad had rested and said, "Um, no, I mean, not yet." She shook her head and said, "I'm waiting on Rory. She ran over to Lane's for a minute," she explained. She turned on her stool and said, "I'll just, um, go, over there," she mumbled as she pointed to a table.

Luke nodded again and said, "Let me know when you're ready," as he shoved the pad back into his waistband and turned toward the kitchen.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she muttered under her breath as she snatched her purse from the stool and carried her coffee to the table. She dropped into the chair with a grunt of frustration and stared out of the window, drumming her nails as she waited for Rory to arrive. When her daughter finally came through the door, Lorelai released the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "Thank God you're here," she said in a rush.

Rory grinned as she slipped into her chair and said, "Poor starving girl."

"Yeah, uh, let's eat," Lorelai said as she began to recover her equilibrium now that her buffer was in place. She turned to look toward the kitchen and called, "Luke! We're starving!"

"Already started them," he called back.

Lorelai frowned as she asked Rory, "How does he know what we wanted?" She yelled back to him, "How do you know what we want?"

Luke stepped out of the kitchen and said, "Neither of you has been in here for two days." He rolled his eyes and said, "Burgers, fries and onion rings coming up."

"Chili fries," Lorelai corrected as he turned back to the kitchen.

"Got it," he answered.

"Aw, Luke missed us," Rory said with a smile.

Lorelai nodded and said, "How could this have happened? Two days without a Luke's burger."

"Well, I wanted to come here last night, but someone just had to have Chinese," Rory said with a sniff.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "I couldn't help it. I didn't want General Tso to feel neglected." She sighed dramatically and said, "So many men, so little Lorelai."

"I hear a little goes a long way," Luke said as he approached with a mug and the coffee pot. He filled the mug for Rory and topped Lorelai's cup off as he said, "Hey, Rory."

"Did you miss us, Luke?" Rory asked with a teasing smile.

Luke nodded and shot Lorelai a look as he said in a deadpan tone, "I pined every moment." He turned away as he added, "Food will be up in a minute."

Lorelai stared after him with her mouth agape. The moment he disappeared into the kitchen she leaned forward and hissed, "I have to tell you something, but I need you to promise me that you won't freak out."

Rory looked at her mother with a startled expression and whispered back, "Well, that's a good opener. What?"

"Do you promise?" Lorelai asked insistently as she reached across the table and grasped Rory's hand.

Rory glanced down at her mother's hand as she frowned and said, "Okay, now you're scaring me."

Lorelai pulled her hand back as she shook her head and said quickly, "No, not scary. Well, maybe for me a little, but not for you," she said as she thought it over with a frown.

"Mom?" Rory prodded as she gestured for Lorelai to be more forthcoming.

"It's about Luke," Lorelai whispered.

"What about Luke?" Rory asked. "Is he okay?"

"Shh," Lorelai said as she glanced around nervously. "He's fine. I think. Yeah, he's fine," she said as she gave a firm nod of confirmation. "I think he's fine," she giggled.

"What?" Rory asked, her face a mask of confusion.

"I think Luke's fine," Lorelai giggled again, this time adding a meaningful leer to the statement.

"Okay," Rory said uncomprehendingly.

"So fine," Lorelai added with a laugh.

Luke came out of the kitchen with their plates as Rory shook her head at her mother and chuckled as she asked, "What is going on with you?"

"She off her meds again?" Luke asked as he slid their plates onto the table with practiced ease.

"Apparently," Rory said with a snort.

Luke nodded as he looked down at the table to make sure they had everything that they needed. "Call me if you need the big butterfly net," he told Rory as he smirked at Lorelai and walked away.

Lorelai watched him head for the store room and leaned across the table as she whispered, "I like Luke."

"Of course you do, he feeds you," Rory answered as she picked up her burger.

"No, Rory," Lorelai said impatiently. "That's what I'm trying to tell you," she hissed. She watched as her daughter's eyes widened slightly as her words finally registered and said quickly, "Don't freak out."

Rory slowly placed the burger back on the plate and stared at her mother's anxious face for a moment. "I'm not freaking out," she said at last.

Lorelai eyed her suspiciously and asked, "You aren't?"

Rory frowned as she glanced down at her plate and then back up again. "You like him, like him?" she asked.

Lorelai winced and said, "Yeah, I do."

"And you want to," Rory said leadingly.

"See if he likes me too," Lorelai finished in a hushed voice.

Rory laughed and said, "Well, yeah."

"Yeah, what?" Lorelai asked.

"Mom, everyone has been telling you that forever," Rory pointed out as she dipped a French fry into the pool of ketchup she had made on the edge of her plate.

"But, you don't want me to date him," Lorelai said softly as she watched Rory's reaction carefully.

Rory sighed as she bit into the fry and chewed slowly. She dropped the other half of the fry back onto her plate and said in a quiet voice, "I want you to be very sure. And I want Luke to be very sure. I like Luke, and I love you," told Lorelai. She bit her bottom lip as she glanced at the kitchen doorway and then said, "I don't want either one of you to get hurt."

"I don't want that either," Lorelai said sincerely.

Rory nodded as she picked up her burger again. "So, what are you going to do about it?" she asked as she prepared to take a big bite.

"I don't know," Lorelai said as she looked down at her food again, her appetite suddenly gone. "I have to think about it some more," she murmured.

"Good. That's good," Rory agreed with her mouth full. She nodded toward Lorelai's plate and said, "Eat, or he'll know something is up."

"Yeah," Lorelai said dully as she picked up her burger. She took a bite and then groaned as she chewed and said, "So good," through muffled cheeks.

"I don't want to know," Rory said with a smirk, causing Lorelai to nearly choke.

XXXX

Luke woke up with a start. Someone was pounding on the door downstairs. He turned his head and blinked at the clock, trying to make out the numbers. The faint light filtering through the flowery curtains should have been his first hint. "Aw, crap," he said as she tossed back the covers and ran to the window. He opened it and called, "I'm coming, Bob. Hang on!"

He shoved his feet into a warn old pair of running shoes and dashed from the apartment, hurrying to let his bread guy in before he decided to take off. He unlocked the door and pulled it open, panting, "Sorry, overslept."

"Wow, first time for everything," Bob said as he handed Luke the plastic racks of bread products. Luke set them on the nearest table and plucked the clipboard from the top of the stack. He scribbled his name and said, "Sorry about that."

"No problem, Luke. You're the only one I have that's never late, so I guess you get to take a mulligan on this one," Bob chuckled as he handed Luke his copy of the invoice. "See you Thursday," he called as he jogged down the steps to the sidewalk and swung up into his delivery van.

Luke locked the door again, and picked up the racks to carry into the kitchen. He left them on the work surface and trudged tiredly back toward the steps, figuring he still had time to shower before he opened up for the day. He reached for the banister and lifted his foot onto the bottom step when it struck him. He'd dreamed of her. That was why he'd turned off the alarm in his sleep. That was why Luke Danes didn't get out of bed that morning to meet the bread guy. He blinked slowly as the image of Lorelai in that stupid cowgirl hat appeared hazily in his mind. He sat down on the second step and pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, resting his elbows on his knees. Flashes of the dream flitted through his head. Not enough to know what it had been about, but enough to know that he had kissed her. Not just kissed her, but pressed her up against the counter and laid one on her that would have made Al and Tipper look Amish. He had kissed her in his dream, but more importantly, Lorelai had kissed him back. Luke absently touched his fingers to his mouth as he realized that he could still feel her lips against his.

tbc


	3. IOU

**IOU**

Lorelai sat at the counter at Luke's wearing her new for her Annie Oakley leopard print cowgirl hat and the sparkly sweatshirt that had once belonged to the woman that Luke loved. It was late at night, and the diner was empty. She drummed her nails against the countertop as she waited impatiently for Luke to appear. When he did, he stared at her incredulously and asked, "What the hell do you think you're wearing?"

"A hat," she answered with a smile.

"Take that off," he said angrily.

"What?" she asked as she wrinkled her nose in disbelief.

Luke pointed at her and said, "Now that is not yours, take it off."

"But I'll have hat hair," Lorelai whined.

"I'm talking about the sweatshirt," he said, his voice rising in anger as his eyes stayed locked on the garment in question.

"Luke calm down," Lorelai said, turning to Rory for support, but finding the stool next to hers empty.

"That is not yours," Luke said adamantly.

"No, I found it in the bags of stuff for the sale," Lorelai said as she glanced to be sure that they were alone.

"Oh, so you just find something and then you take it is that it?" he demanded.

"No, I paid for it," she said indignantly.

"Oh, so that makes it alright," he scoffed.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "It makes it legal." She licked her lips nervously and said, "I hear that it was Rachel's."

"Rachel?" Luke asked as he jerked his head back as if she had struck him. "What the hell do you know about Rachel?" he demanded.

"I know that you're still in love with her. She's not coming back, Luke," she said gently. "You have to let her go," she said as she slipped from the stool and started walking toward him.

"I'm not in love with her," Luke said, shaking his head adamantly as he backed up into the back counter to avoid her.

"It's okay, Luke," Lorelai said as she reached out and placed her fingertips over his pounding heart. "I understand," she said softly. "I was just hoping that maybe if I wore it, you would see me instead," she said as she stepped closer to him, her breath whispering over his lips.

"I see you," Luke answered in a hoarse voice.

"I want you, Luke," she whispered as she brushed her lips over his. "You don't have to love me," she said softly. "I just need you to want me," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Do you? Do you want me, Luke?" she asked in a sexy purr.

"Yes," he said in a low raspy voice as he pulled her to him, crushing her against his chest as he kissed her passionately. He parted her lips with his tongue, and immediately took control of the kiss, gripping the back of her head to hold her steady under the force of it.

Lorelai pulled back, and using both hands to push against his chest, she struggled to take a step back. She stared at him wide eyed, a little frightened, and completely unable to process what had just happened. Luke stared back at her steadily, and in his dark blue eyes she saw something that made her catch her breath. Lorelai blinked slowly, trying to put her finger on what it was she saw there, but powerless to resist it. She glanced down at his hands still resting on her hips, his fingers curling into her soft curves as he tried desperately to keep hold of her. "Luke," she said softly as she stepped toward him again. The moment her lips touched his, the jolt shot through them again.

Luke was everywhere, his scent enveloping her, his body engulfing her, his taste intoxicating her. Lorelai clung to his shoulders, a throaty moan escaping her parted lips as he bent to kiss her neck, nipping and sucking at the tender skin as his nimble fingers unzipped the sweatshirt that had started it all. He cupped her breasts in his large hands, stepping into her as he pressed her back against the opposite counter. Impatient with the barriers between them, Luke slid one hand under the hem of her t-shirt and nudged her bra strap off of her shoulder as he lifted her breast from the lacy cup, smoothing his thumb over her nipple. He claimed her mouth again, pressing his hard thigh between her legs as he kneaded her breast. His other hand slipped down to her denim clad ass, gliding over the tight material as he lifted her leg up onto his thigh and held her there. Lorelai arched into him, whimpering softly as she rubbed the mound of her sex against his thigh shamelessly.

The bells above the door chimed and Rory called, "Mom?"

As if he hadn't heard a thing, Luke continued his assault on Lorelai's senses, pressing his obvious arousal against her hip as he released her breast and scrambled to lift her shirt. He covered her nipple with his warm, wet mouth and Lorelai groaned, "Not now Rory."

"Mom?" Rory called again. She reached out and gave Lorelai's shoulder a good shake as she said, "Mom, you said you wanted to go to Luke's for breakfast. I have to take the early bus, remember?" Rory told her.

"Huh?" Lorelai grunted as she shot straight up in bed. "What?" she asked frantically.

Rory laughed and said, "Wow, you must have been really out of it. Were you dreaming?" she asked with a grin. "Hey, was it that one where Taylor is walking around in Mrs. Gleason's clothes again?" she asked with a giggle.

"What? Oh, no, not that one," Lorelai said with a weak laugh. Lorelai knit her brow as she tried to recall the dregs of the dream, but came up empty. She pressed her hand to her heart and said, "I must have been running from someone or something. My heart is racing."

"You? Running? Maybe it was to something, are you sure it wasn't a shoe sale?" Rory said with a snort.

"Seriously, I feel like I just got the ho-hah scared out of me," Lorelai said as she started to scoot off of the bed.

Rory frowned and asked, "Scary running? Was someone chasing you?"

Lorelai shook her head as she shuffled into the bathroom, plucking her toothbrush from the holder as she said, "Not really. I'm not sure."

"Maybe you saw something scary and you were running away," Rory suggested.

"Possible," Lorelai said with a mouthful of toothpaste.

"Or, you could have been running toward something. Like you were afraid that you were going to miss it," Rory said with a nod. "Nothing? Can't remember a thing?" she prodded.

"Sorry, you'll have to analyze someone else today, Sigmund, this one wants to stay locked in there," Lorelai mumbled through the foam in her mouth.

"Oh well," Rory said as she pushed off of the doorframe with a shrug. "Hop to, Missy, I'm going to be late," she said as she turned to go back downstairs.

XXXX

"Good morning," Rory said sweetly as she and Lorelai slipped onto their usual stools later that morning.

"Morning," Luke answered gruffly as he placed two mugs in front of them. "You eating?" he asked.

"Well, not until you give us some food," Lorelai said in a cranky tone as she picked up the mug in both hands and took a greedy sip. "Oh God, I wanna have your babies," she murmured to the mug.

"Me or Mr. Coffee?" Luke asked with a smirk as he returned the pot to its burner.

"Either one of you will do as long as you keep Joe around to make me happy," Lorelai answered.

"Mom's a little testy this morning. She didn't sleep well," Rory explained with a solemn nod. Lorelai shot her daughter a warning look as she placed the mug back on the counter. "I'm sorry Luke, I should have told you, I need this to go," Rory said as she pointed to her mug.

"To go?" Lorelai asked in a slightly agitated voice.

"Debate meeting before school, remember?" Rory reminded her mother.

Luke poured a fresh cup of coffee into a to-go cup and affixed the lid. "Muffin?" he asked Rory as he lifted the lid to the pasty plate, tongs at the ready.

"Yes, please," Rory said with a nod as she took a sip from her mug, carefully saving the coffee to go for the bus ride.

Luke took a muffin from the plate and turned to place it in the toaster oven to warm as he said, "I didn't sleep well either, must have been a full moon or something," he said as he turned back to Lorelai and pulled the order pad from the waistband of his jeans, he stood looking down at her with his pencil poised and ready. "What'll you have?" he asked, eyes fixed on the pad as he tried not to stare at Lorelai's mouth any more than absolutely necessary.

Lorelai fought to lift her eyes from the spot where the order pad rested a moment before and saw it cradled in his hand, his long fingers curled around the edges of it. She licked her lips nervously as she tried to kick her brain into gear. "Pancakes," she blurted.

"You want strawberries and whipped cream or syrup?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered.

"Which?" he asked as he finally lifted his eyes from the pad and stared down at her.

"All, I want it all," she said with a nod.

"Why am I not shocked?" Luke asked as he turned to retrieve Rory's muffin from the toaster oven. He dropped it into a bag, tossed a couple of paper napkins into the bag and said, "Here you go, Rory," as he placed it on the counter.

"Thanks, Luke," Rory said as she grabbed the bag and cup and then slid from her stool.

"You want sausage?" Luke called to Lorelai over his shoulder as he went into the kitchen.

"Yes, I do," Lorelai muttered in a low voice.

"Mom," Rory gasped. "No dirty breakfast innuendo about Luke," she hissed in her mother's ear.

"Sausage or no?" Luke asked impatiently, leaning his head out of the kitchen.

"Yes, please," Lorelai answered with a grin.

"Okay, I give up. I have to go before I'm completely ruined," Rory said as she kissed her mother's cheek. "Don't do anything dirty in the diner. I have to eat here," she whispered in Lorelai's ear.

"Rory!" Lorelai gasped, pressing her hand to the throat as she feigned shock.

"I mean it," Rory said, pointing at her mother as she backed to the door.

"Bye, Sweets," Lorelai called with a waggle of her fingers.

"Bye, Mom," Rory grumbled as she turned and opened the door.

"Have a good day, Rory," Luke said as she stepped from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. He watched Rory hurry over to the bus stop and then turned to Lorelai. "She seems to be adjusting to that place well," he said with a nod.

"Well, school-wise, yes, I think," Lorelai said as she watched Rory try to hurry under the weight of her backpack as the bus pulled up to the stop. She turned back to Luke with a wince and said, "I kind of hurt her socially this weekend, though."

"You did?" Luke asked in surprise. "How? You have to be the coolest parent those kids have ever seen," he scoffed.

"Yeah, well, I was pretty cool up until I found out that two of those little tramps I gave my ninth row Bangles tickets to skipped out in the middle of the concert to go to a party with some guys they picked up there," she sneered.

"What? Aren't they sixteen too?" Luke asked, leaning his hands on the counter, his brow creased in confusion and concern.

Lorelai smiled at his naiveté and said, "Luke, I am a prime example of the wonderful choices that sixteen year old girls are capable of making."

Luke waved her off saying, "Please. What were they thinking? And who were these guys? What kind of guy goes to a Bangles concert anyway?" he demanded.

"Some college guys. They went back to this apartment for a party, and I dragged their butts out of there. Then I got to visit personally with each of their parents. That was fun," she said morosely as she took a sip of her coffee. "So, you see, I'm not the coolest parent," she said with a shrug.

"Yes, you are," Luke said gruffly as he turned toward the kitchen. "Back in a second," he called over his shoulder. He emerged a few minutes later with a stack of pancakes that took up the entire plate, smothered in whipped cream and strawberries. He slid it onto the counter in front of her, plunking a plate holding link sausages down next to it. He reached for a small pitcher of syrup on the back counter and set it near her coffee mug, and then he snagged Rory's mug to dump it out.

"Wait," she said, placing her hand on his arm to stop him. She quickly pulled her hand away and said, "I'll drink that."

"I'll give you fresh," Luke said as he turned to retrieve the coffee pot. He refilled her mug and said, "You're a very good mother. And a very cool mother," he added, holding up one finger to make his point. "Those girls are idiots, and they probably have idiots for parents," he grumbled.

Lorelai looked up at him with a small smile as she said softly, "Thanks, Luke."

Luke nodded and said, "Anytime." He glanced around at the other patrons and realized that he had been neglecting them. "Enjoy your cholesterol festival," he grumbled as he took the coffee pot and made a round of refills.

After Lorelai finished her breakfast, she loitered at the cash register, waiting for Luke to finish taking another order. He came around the end of the counter and asked, "What no IOU written on a napkin today?"

"I have cash money, my friend," she said with a grin as she waved a twenty at him. "Besides, I haven't left you an IOU in forever," she scoffed.

"Last month," Luke answered as he punched the keys on the register. He snatched the twenty from her fingers and counted out her change, including the usual Lorelai 75 discount. He handed it over to her and said, "I'm still waiting for your eternal adoration to kick in."

Lorelai laughed and said, "Well, you've always had that."

"Really? It was kind of hard to tell last week when you were singing the name Luke's flannels song," he said with a wry smile.

"Oh, but that was a hymn, Luke. I was singing your praises," she said with a solemn nod.

"Sounded like mockery," he said with a pointed look.

Lorelai frowned and shook her head as she said, "Who knew that you were such a sensitive boy."

"I am. I rescue wounded birds and cry at Hallmark commercials," he said with a nod as he draped his hand over the top of the register and leaned toward her.

Lorelai was momentarily distracted, her interest caught by those long fingers flexing and curling back into his palm. "Uh, um, wow, you are girly," she blurted.

"Don't tell anyone," he whispered in a low conspiratorial voice.

"Your secret is safe with me," she answered automatically. She gave her head a little shake as she shoved her change into her purse without looking at it. She picked the purse up and fiddled with the strap nervously as she finally dared to meet his gaze. "Are we okay? After, you know, the thing with the thing?" she asked as she made a zipping motion along the front of her shirt.

"We're fine," he said brusquely, dropping his hand from the register and shoving both of them into his front pockets.

"You know I wouldn't have intentionally done anything to hurt you, right?" she asked with quiet sincerity, glancing back over her shoulder to be sure that no one else was near.

"You didn't hurt me," he said gruffly.

"I don't want you to think that I was mocking you or rubbing it in or something," she explained quickly.

"I didn't," he answered succinctly.

Lorelai nodded quickly, and forced a quick smile. "Well, I didn't want to, you know, make you cry or anything, Sissy Boy," she teased.

Luke smirked as he jerked his chin at her and said, "See you later."

"Later," she said as she turned and hurried for the door.

As the bells chimed behind her, Luke sighed and grabbed a rag to start wiping down the counter, muttering under his breath, "I think I may cry anyway."

XXXX

Luke dawdled through his closing routine. It was Tuesday night, and on Tuesday nights, Lorelai sometimes stopped in for a cup of coffee after her business class. The Tuesday night visits were the ones he looked forward to the most. The diner was usually empty, except for Kirk, if he hadn't kicked him out for annoying him. Lorelai was usually alone, and as much as he liked seeing Rory, Lorelai was more apt to talk rather than tease when she was alone. He had made a fresh pot of coffee, and then promptly dumped a bit of it down the sink, so it wouldn't look like he had made a fresh pot of coffee.

He took his time sorting the day's receipts, and then moved on to refilling the salt and pepper shakers. When he finished that, he glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost ten. With a sigh, he reached over and flipped the switch to turn off the burner under the coffee pot and lifted the carafe to go empty the rest of it down the sink. He had just walked into the kitchen when he heard the bells jingle and Lorelai cry out, "Luke, wait!"

He turned around and said, "I'm closed."

"The door was open, there's coffee in that pot, please, Luke, please," she said as she fell panting onto a stool.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked as he frowned at her.

"Please?" she asked desperately. Luke shook his head, pulled out a mug and filled it to the rim. Lorelai took a quick sip and asked "Donut? Pie? Anything left over?"

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Ugh, I've had such a night!" she said as she shook her head. "I was late getting out of work, so I had to go straight to class. Did Rory come here for dinner? I didn't have a chance to leave her pizza money, and I know that we are completely out of food at home," she rambled.

"She did," Luke said with a nod.

"Did she have any money?" Lorelai asked as she cradled her mug possessively between her hands.

"I took an IOU," Luke answered with a smirk.

"Good, thank you," she said with a breath of relief. "Oh, man, I'm starving. I got to school with enough time to hit the vending machines, but unfortunately, a plague of locusts had gotten there before me. They completely wiped out the frozen burritos. I mean, it looked worse than my fridge!" she babbled as she pressed her hand earnestly to her chest. "All that was left were those little microwavable tubs of Hormel Chili with beans, which did not work out well for me," she added with a sad shake of her head. "Well, on the bright side, I don't have to worry about the big hairy guy that sits behind me flirting with me anymore," she said with a devilish grin.

"Nice," Luke hissed as he shook his head in disbelief.

"A roll, a slice of bread?" she asked. "Anyway, this professor, oh my God, he has the most monotone voice I have ever heard! He was droning on and on and I zoned out, which, usually, I pretty good about that, but tonight, I was in the Outer Limits, my friend," she said with a laugh.

"I'm making you a sandwich," Luke said as he turned to go into the kitchen.

"No, I know you're closed up. I don't want you to have to make anything," Lorelai called after him. "Chips? So you have any chips?" she asked.

"On the rack," he answered. "You want swiss on your turkey?" he asked from the kitchen.

"Really, I'm good with the chips," Lorelai answered as she pulled a bag of barbequed potato chips from the rack against the wall. "I never could figure out why you kept chips, no one ever orders them," she yelled.

"Some people do, just not you," he called back.

"Well, I'm thanking God for them now. And you," she added as she slipped back onto her stool and tore the bag open.

"Mayo? Mustard?" he called.

"Mayo. Thanks, Luke," she said sincerely.

He appeared a minute later with a turkey sandwich on wheat bread and said, "Sandwiches are easy. Here."

"Oh, I'm so hungry I won't even comment on how you slid the whole wheat in there," she said as she picked up half of the sandwich and bit into it. "Anyway, I zoned out while the professor was giving instructions for our end of semester project. Not good, huh?" she said through stuffed cheeks.

"Take it easy," he cautioned.

Lorelai swallowed and said, "So when he said to partner up, I picked out the Rory in the class. You know, the girl that writes down everything the droning man says? So, I felt good about it," she said with a wry smile. "I learned my lesson last time, don't team up with a guy," she said darkly as she bit into the sandwich again. "So I talk to this girl, Brennda, with two 'n's,' not one, and I figured we'd get together next week to see what we were going to do, but no, she wants to talk tonight," she said shaking her head as she chewed and swallowed. "So, I got out of there almost an hour late, and I only got out then because I told her three times that my kid was home alone. She doesn't know how old Rory is, so I kind of let her think she was little," she said with a nod. "So, all I could think about was getting back here and getting something to eat, and then I got pulled over for speeding," she said with a self deprecating smile.

"Oh, man, how fast?" he asked.

"Oh, I was way over," she said with a laugh. "I was ready to take it, you know, because I deserved it, but the minute the trooper walked up to my car, I just burst into tears," she told him. When Luke smirked and crossed his arms over his chest with a knowing nod, she shook her head and insisted, "No, I really didn't do it on purpose. My blood sugar was low or something. Not that I wouldn't cry to get out of a ticket," she said as she thought about it. "But this time I really didn't mean to," she said adamantly.

"But you got out of it," he said gruffly.

"Well, it may have helped that the guy was really young, and my skirt rides up when I'm driving," she said with a pleased smile.

"That wouldn't hurt," Luke said dryly.

"Anyway, that was my night. Not that you wanted to hear that," she said with a laugh as she took another bite.

"Why don't you team up with guys?" he asked.

Lorelai shook her head as she chewed and wiped her mouth on a paper napkin. "Oh no, never again. You end up doing all of the work, and the guy does the presentation and takes all of the credit," she said as she reached for her coffee.

"I can see that," Luke said with a nod.

Lorelai glanced around and then asked, "Do you want me to take this home? I mean, you must be anxious to close and get on with your night," she said as if she had only just realized that she was the only one in there.

Luke shrugged and said, "Everything's done. I didn't have anything planned."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Pretty sure," he said with a chuckle.

Lorelai looked up at him and asked, "What do you do? I mean, when you're not working."

Luke shook his head and said, "I don't know, stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" she asked curiously.

"I don't know. Stuff, stuff," he answered impatiently. "Why do you want to know?" he asked.

Lorelai blinked up at him and said, "I don't know. I guess I just realized in the last few days that I don't know you as well as I thought I did."

"Lorelai," Luke started to say.

"Tonight, for example. If I wasn't here, what would you be doing right now?" she asked.

Luke rubbed his face and said, "Well, I worked sixteen hours today, so I guess I'd have a beer and watch TV or read."

"Do you go out?" she asked.

"Go out?" he answered blankly.

"Yes, leave your apartment and go somewhere after work," she said slowly.

"It's been known to happen," he answered as he leaned back against the back counter and crossed his arms over his chest.

"And what do you do when you go out?" she asked.

Luke shook his head and asked, "Am I being interviewed?"

"Yes," she said with a nod.

"Well, sometimes I go to dinner, or I have errands to run," Luke said slowly.

"Dinner, huh," Lorelai said softly.

Luke smirked and said, "Yes, I do eat."

"When you go to dinner, do you go alone?" she asked as she toyed with a crust of her bread, not daring to look at him.

"Sometimes," he answered simply.

"And other times?" she asked leadingly.

Luke shifted uncomfortably and asked, "Are you trying to ask if I date?"

"No," she said quickly. "Well, yeah," she amended with a sheepish smile.

"I date," he said gruffly.

Lorelai looked up at him and said, "Regularly?"

Luke blinked rapidly as he tried to figure out where she was going with this, and said, "Not really."

"So you're not seeing anyone now?" she asked, as she focused an inordinate amount of attention on her mug.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked, wondering if this was going where he thought it might be going.

Lorelai shrugged and looked up as she said, "I just do. I guess I feel like there's this whole big chunk of you that I don't know about."

"Because you found out about Rachel," he said with a sigh.

"I guess so," she admitted. "I guess I felt like I should have known," she said, wrinkling her nose as she looked up at him.

"Why would you? Rachel has been gone for years, Lorelai," he said quietly.

"But she was important to you," Lorelai countered.

"Yes, she was," he admitted with a nod.

"Are you…" she started to ask.

"No, I'm not," he answered gruffly, cutting her off.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "You don't know what I was going to ask."

Luke gave her a small smile and said, "No, I'm not waiting for her. No, I'm not heartbroken. No, I don't love her anymore." He sighed and looked down at the toes of his boots as he said, "Never said that out loud before, but does that answer your questions?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried," she said softly.

Luke shook his head and said, "It's okay. I know what everyone thinks." He smirked and said, "They sit in my diner and talk about me like I can't hear them." He took a deep breath and said, "That's why when I do see someone, it's no one from around here."

"Oh, so you won't date a local," she said with a quick nod, averting her face as she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

"It's not that," he started to say.

Lorelai turned her head and looked at his watch. "Oh, I should get going," she said as she pulled a ten out of her purse.

"On me," Luke said as he waved her money off. "I just don't like my life being public knowledge, you know?" he said as she gathered her purse.

"I totally understand," she said quickly, letting her hair fall over her face as she felt the tightening in her throat.

"I mean, there is someone I could be interested in, but I'm not so sure that she would be," he said as he pushed himself off of the counter with his hips.

"Did you ask her out?" Lorelai said as she kept her face averted slightly.

"Almost," he said with a nod. "I just didn't know for sure if that was a good idea or not," he said gruffly.

"Why not?" she whispered as she began to lift her head slowly.

"Because we're friends, because it could mess things up," he said quietly. "Anyway, I'm not sure she would be thinking the same thing too," he said with a shrug.

"She might. You should ask her," Lorelai said as she raised her eyes to meet his.

Luke nodded and said, "Maybe I should."

Lorelai felt her lips twitch as she blurted, "Before you start collecting Social Security."

Luke stepped around the counter and walked over to open the door for her. "Probably a good idea," he agreed. As she passed by him he asked, "Are you free tomorrow night?"

Lorelai stopped and turned to him as her smile blossomed and asked, "What did you have in mind?"

Luke smiled back and said, "I thought you could give me some more tips on how to ask this girl out over dinner."

Lorelai's smile faltered a little as she said, "You're joking, right?"

"Pick you up at seven?" he asked as he wrapped his hand around the edge of the door and leaned into it.

"Luke," she started to say.

"Never mind, I'll ask Rory for some pointers when I come to pick you up," he said with a nod.

Lorelai frowned at him and asked impatiently, "It is me, isn't it?"

Luke chuckled and glanced down as he said, "Yes, it's you."

"Good, because for a minute there, I was afraid that I was gonna have to kick some girl's butt, and then kick yours," she said with a laugh.

Luke smiled widely as he said, "Goodnight, Lorelai. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lorelai stood transfixed by his smile and said, "You should do that more."

"What?" he asked.

"Smile like that. You never smile like that," she said as she fought to resist the urge to touch his cheek.

Luke straightened up and let his hand slide to the doorknob as he said, "Well, maybe now I'll have more reason to."

"Goodnight, Luke," she said as she ducked her head shyly and walked through the door. She glanced back at him as she reached the sidewalk and asked, "Seven?"

"Yeah," he answered.

"Okay, but don't show up until seven thirty," she called as she went around to the driver's side of the Jeep.

"Didn't plan on it," he called back.

Lorelai waggled her fingers at him as she slid behind the wheel, and Luke raised his hand in return. He waited until she pulled away before letting the door swing closed and flipping the lock. He gathered the remains of her dinner and carried the dishes into the kitchen to be dealt with in the morning. He switched out the lights and climbed the stairs, humming softly as he made his way to bed.

XXXX

When the alarm screeched into the pre-dawn hours, Luke rolled over and turned it off. He'd dreamed of her that night. With a sigh, Luke rolled onto his back again and stared up at the ceiling, trying to ignore the urgent pleas for relief his body was sending him. He blinked his eyes and saw her there; her dark hair tumbling over his pillow, her lips red from his kisses. He could almost touch her flushed cheek and almost feel the heat of her skin as he hovered over her. And there, echoing through his mind, as clear as a bell, were the words she had spoken just before the alarm went off. She opened her bright blue eyes slowly, and stared up at him as she whispered in a husky voice, "Luke I have to tell you something."

tbc


	4. Anticipation

**A/N: Thanks to all those who have stuck with this story. I know that it has been a little confusing to some of you, and I hope that things will become a little clearer as these last three chapters go up. I promise you that it is heading somewhere. Of course, it's heading to a very dirty place, but you know how I am. Thanks for reading. Mags**

**An-ti-ci-pation**

Lorelai walked into the diner and perched on the stool closest to the kitchen. She tipped her nifty new leopard print cowgirl hat back on her head a little and straightened her sparkly rhinestone studded sweatshirt. Luke magically appeared in front of her, coffee pot in hand, and sneered, "Would you take that damn thing off?"

"You don't like my hat?" she asked flirtatiously as she set the hat on the stool next to her.

"I meant the sweatshirt," Luke said, rolling his eyes at her.

"You want me to take my shirt off?" she asked with a scandalized gasp.

Luke smiled as he set the coffee pot on the counter and said, "Yes, I do."

"Luke Danes! I am shocked and offended!" Lorelai said in a playfully sexy voice. "The things a girl has to do to get a decent cup of coffee," she sighed as she unzipped the sweatshirt slowly watching his eyes widen when he saw the pale blue lace bra she wore beneath. She slipped the sweatshirt from her shoulders and asked softly, "Happy now?"

"Very," Luke growled as he rounded the end of the counter. Lorelai turned to face him, and he stood between her parted knees. He raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "Do you want me to be happy, Lorelai?"

Lorelai looked up at him and whispered, "Yes. Yes, I want you to be happy, Luke."

"Kiss me, Lorelai Gilmore," Luke said in a low voice, his lips a mere fraction of an inch from hers. "Kiss me and make me forget," he said quietly.

Lorelai bit her bottom lip and then asked, "But will you remember me?"

"I remember everything about you," Luke said in mesmerizing voice. "How you taste, how you smell, how your body feels, soft and warm, under mine. Kiss me, Lorelai," he said as he brushed his lips over hers.

"But, we haven't," she started to protest, but was cut off with his kiss. His lips were warm, incredibly warm, firm, but gentle. His breath was sweet, as if he had devoured the entire pack of ancient Certs that resided at the bottom of her purse. Lorelai felt herself melting into the kiss, drawn to that sweet taste, yearning for more, trying to drink him in. Luke pulled her from the stool, his hand splayed over her back as he held her pressed tightly to him. Lorelai clung to his neck, feeling the soft curls under the bill of his cap, and the hard muscles molding her curves to him.

Luke opened the front clasp of her bra, and left the garment dangling from her arms as his big calloused hands cupped her breasts with shocking gentleness. Lorelai moaned into his mouth as his tongue circled hers, earning a deep groan in return. Luke pressed his erection against her, rubbing teasingly as she arched against him, desperate for the friction. He ran his thumbs over her taut nipples, tweaking and pinching them gently as he rolled them between his thumb and forefinger. He lifted his head and bent to take her nipple into his mouth, pushing her back against the counter, and perching on the edge of her stool as she arched above him. His nimble fingers opened the button on her jeans and lowered the zipper with agonizing deliberation. Lorelai stared down at him, watching as if from above as he suckled her. Sensing her gaze, Luke looked up, and kept his eyes fixed boldly on hers as he turned his attentions to her other breast. He teased the very tip of it with his tongue as he slipped his hand into the opening of her jeans. Lorelai's eyes widened as his fingertips grazed her clit, and she watched his eyes grow dark with desire. "Luke," she murmured as she knocked his hat to the floor, burying her hands in his soft hair, holding him to her as she spread her legs, kicking the stool next to her and sending her cowgirl hat skittering across the floor.

Luke drew her nipple into his mouth, sucking hard as his fingers parted her, seeking the heat that he craved. The bells jingled and Babette sailed through the door just as Luke thrust his finger into her, making Lorelai cry out, "God, yes!"

"Hey, Luke, think you can fix me and Morey up a couple of BLTs, extra mayo? We've been ridin' the Coltrane all day, if ya know what I mean," she said as she righted the stool next to them.

Luke released Lorelai's breast but continued to stare up at her as he said in a low, sexy voice, "Sure, just give me a minute."

"Oh sure, Doll, no hurry," Babette said with a wave of her hand as she climbed onto the stool, completely unfazed by the fact that Luke had already returned his attention to Lorelai.

He drove her up, trusting into her hard and fast, the heel of his hand rubbing against her clit with each stroke as Lorelai whimpered and writhed against the counter. Luke straightened up, cupped the back of Lorelai's head in his other hand and pulled her to him for a crushing kiss. Lorelai clung to his shoulders, her climax coiling deep within her as her muscles tensed, aching for relief. Luke lifted his mouth from hers and whispered, "I have to work now," as he pulled his finger from her heat.

"No," Lorelai whispered as he withdrew, frustrated by how close she was, and devastated by the loss of him.

Luke smiled as he kissed her gently and said, "Looking forward to dinner tonight," as he turned to head off to the kitchen.

Lorelai whipped her head around, staring after him in utter disbelief. "Luke!" she cried indignantly. "It was me, right? You knew that it was me, didn't you?" she asked, her voice breaking with uncertainty.

Luke paused in the kitchen doorway and turned to look at her. His eyebrows jumped a little as he took in her disheveled state and said in a hoarse voice, "Really looking forward to tonight." With that, he turned and disappeared, but not before Lorelai and Babette both saw him lift his finger to his lips.

Babette's brows shot up comically as she shook her head slowly. "Good, huh, Doll?" she asked in a low raspy voice.

Lorelai groaned as she rolled over, opening her eyes to look at the clock. She groaned even more loudly when it registered that it was only three thirty in the morning. She stared up at darkened ceiling and sighed closing her eyes as she tried to conjure up the dream again so that she could finish what Luke had started.

XXXX

Later that morning, Lorelai realized that the biggest problem with being best friends with your kid is that you end up telling her too much, but there were also things that you still couldn't tell her. For example, Lorelai had bounced into the house the night before, and jerked Rory's attention away from her bedtime reading by hopping onto her daughter's bed and dancing around as she sang, "I've got a date! I've got a date! I've got a date with Luuuuuke." On the flip side, there was no way that she could tell Rory about the disturbingly erotic dreams she had been having about their friendly neighborhood diner owner. This inability, coupled with Lorelai's jubilant gyrations the previous evening, made Rory insistent on going to Luke's for breakfast.

As they walked toward the diner, Lorelai was barely cognizant of the steady stream of chatter coming from the young girl in the plaid skirt. With each step, her heart seemed to beat a little faster. As they stepped up onto the sidewalk outside of the diner, Lorelai was unable to lift her eyes from the pavement, somewhat afraid that her overtaxed heart might leap from her chest at the sight of Luke. She was even more afraid that she would be unable to control the urge to strip off her clothes and demand that he finish what he had started in her dream. As if coming from the distant end of a tin can phone, she heard Rory calling, "Mom? Mom?"

Lorelai started as she turned to look at her daughter and was met with a concerned frown. "Huh? Sorry, Sweets, I guess I'm not really awake yet," she said with a shaky smile.

Rory took her mother's arm and pulled her over near the lamppost as she asked urgently, "Have you changed your mind?"

"What? Changed my mind about what?" Lorelai asked blankly.

Rory glanced around nervously to see if anyone was nearby. "Have you changed your mind about doing you-know-what with you-know who?" she asked without moving her lips.

"What's with the Edgar Bergan?" Lorelai asked with a laugh.

"Mom," Rory said cajolingly.

"Okay first of all, define you-know-what," Lorelai said with a grimace, hoping that, for once, her daughter couldn't read her mind.

"Dating," Rory hissed. "What did you… oh God," Rory groaned as she pressed the heel of her hand to her forehead. She hit her head a couple of times and muttered, "Oh no, out, out."

"Are you having a fit? Should I call Kirk? He's the closest thing we have to a paramedic," Lorelai began to babble.

"No, no, I'm fine," Rory said as she shook her head violently. "Oh my God, you're gonna kiss Luke," she said in a horrified tone.

Lorelai grinned and said, "If all goes well, yes."

"Thanks for planting that in my head first thing in the morning," Rory mumbled. She took a deep breath and then looked up at her mother as she asked, "You still want to date, Luke?" placing extra emphasis on the word date.

"What? Oh, yeah," Lorelai said with an enthusiastic nod.

"So, ew, you were daydreaming about Luke all the way here?" Rory said with a wince.

Lorelai grimaced self-consciously as she said, "Yeah, well, I guess so."

"Because you seemed like you didn't want to come here," Rory said cautiously.

Lorelai glanced over her shoulder and then said, "I don't know how I'm supposed to act."

Rory nodded and said, "Well, I think you should just act normal. Normal for you, at least," she added with a smirk.

"Yeah, but what if he's all, you know, flirty and stuff?" Lorelai asked as she rubbed her palms over her skirt nervously.

"Luke? I doubt it," Rory scoffed.

"Luke flirts a lot, Rory," Lorelai said defensively.

Rory rolled her eyes and said, "He's not likely to do that with half the town around." She hooked her hand through Lorelai's arm and began to pull her toward the door as she said, "Tell you what, if he gets the sudden urge to back you up against the counter, I'll break it up, okay?"

Lorelai giggled nervously and said, "You're right, Luke would never do that." She followed Rory up the steps and held her hand out to catch the door as her daughter breezed into the diner ahead of her. "Much," she whispered under her breath as she saw Luke appear from the kitchen with an arm load of plates.

As he passed by, he flashed a quick smile and said, "Hey."

"Uh, hey," Lorelai managed to squeak out as her eyes trailed after him.

Rory turned back and saw her mother staring after Luke hungrily and said loudly, "Wow, no tables, I guess we'll have to sit at the counter. Come on, Mom," she said firmly, snapping Lorelai from her Luke induced daze.

As they took two stools at the vacant counter, Lorelai glanced over her shoulder wistfully and said, "I really wanted a table."

"Sorry, but I can't wait for one to open. We took too long walking over here as it is," Rory said with a smirk.

Lorelai turned, reached for Rory's wrist and held it up so that she could check the time on her daughter's watch. "Crap," she muttered.

"Someone was dragging this morning," Rory said with a teasing grin. She leaned closer to Lorelai and whispered in a sing song voice, "Someone was up all night mooning about her new boooyfriend."

Lorelai shot Rory an irritate look and said, "He's not my boyfriend."

"Hey," Luke said, magically appearing in front of them with two mugs and the coffeepot.

"Oh, hey," Lorelai said as she quickly grabbed a menu and started skimming it with avid interest.

"Hi, Luke," Rory said with a bright smile, hoping to cover for her mother's strange behavior.

"Rory," Luke said with an uncomfortable nod.

Rory looked from Luke to her mother as the silence stretched out between them. "So, uh," she said slowly.

"Do you know what you want?" Luke asked as his hand strayed to the order pad that was stuck in the waistband of his jeans.

"I do," Rory said as she glanced at Lorelai again. "I'm not so sure about Mom," she added as she gave Lorelai a sharp jab with her elbow. "Oops, sorry," she said sweetly when Lorelai's head jerked up.

"I, uh, we're making that cinnamon French toast you like," Luke said gruffly as he rubbed his chin, tugging slightly on the tuft of beard below his lip.

Lorelai stared, mesmerized for a moment, and murmured, "Bet that's so good." She blinked as she heard the words escape her lips and said quickly, "That sounds so good. Uh, doesn't it, Hon?" she asked as she turned to Rory with a nervous smile.

Rory rolled her eyes and said, "Yes, it does." She glanced between the two of them and then leaned in as she said to them both in a low voice, "You guys are gonna have to get better at this before tonight, you know."

Luke jerked back slightly as his eyes flew to Lorelai's face. When she lifted hers to his, Luke saw the uncertainty there and smiled bashfully as he ducked his head. "I'll work on that," he said in a low voice. "French toast for both of you?" he asked as he scribbled something indecipherable on the pad.

"Yes, please," Lorelai said, her smile gaining confidence from his pink tinged cheeks.

"Bacon? Sausage?" he asked quickly.

"Both," Rory answered with a nod.

Luke rolled his eyes, but his lips twitched at the corners as he said, "Don't know why I asked. Be right back," he said as he disappeared into the kitchen.

Rory turned to Lorelai and said, "Okay, that would have been cute if it weren't so pathetic."

"I told you that I didn't know how to act," Lorelai hissed.

"Well, neither does he, so just try to act like you always do," Rory said in a harsh whisper.

"I'm trying," Lorelai insisted, nudging Rory away from her as Luke reappeared in the doorway with a handful of plates. She watched him deliver them to their respective tables, admiring the way his blue and white plaid flannel stretched across his shoulders. She licked her lips absently, still distracted as Luke straightened and turned to look her dead in the eye. Lorelai swung back to face the counter and pressed her fingertips to her flaming cheeks as she muttered, "This is ridiculous."

"That's what I've been saying," Rory said smugly.

"Did you want something?" Luke asked as he stood behind her stool.

"Oh God," Rory groaned as she dropped her forehead to the palm of her hand, shaking her head violently.

Lorelai's eyes lit up devilishly as she smiled up at him and said sweetly, "Not at the moment. Maybe later," she added with a broad wink.

Luke reared back in surprise and then snorted as he said, "Yeah, okay. I'll remember that," he added as he stalked back into the kitchen.

"Luke? Can I have my order to go?" Rory called after him.

"No! Don't go, I'll be good," Lorelai said in a pleading tone as she grabbed Rory's arm.

"I should have left you with your nose buried in the menu," Rory mumbled.

"I promise," Lorelai said beseechingly.

Rory shook her head and held up her wrist again. "I'll have to eat mine on the bus," she said with a shrug. "If you need a breakfast buffer again, you'll have to move faster next time," Rory said sternly.

Luke emerged from the kitchen holding a bag and said, "I wrapped the toast around some sausage and stuck a toothpick in it to hold it together. There are little syrup things in there to dip it in," he said as he handed the bag to her.

Rory grinned as she took the bag and said, "If it weren't so freaky, I would force you two to flirt in public more often, it pays well."

Luke turned his back to them and poured coffee into a to-go cup and pressed the lid down on it as he turned back to the counter. As Rory reached for it, Luke pulled the cup back and said with a smirk, "You shouldn't push, you never know when someone will push back."

Rory nodded solemnly and said, "I'll remember that when I'm on the playground at recess."

Luke rolled his eyes as he handed her the coffee and grumbled, "Serve you right if I just planted one on her right here."

"Hey! She's sitting here," Lorelai said pointing to her face with both index fingers.

Rory's grin spread as she said, "Double dog dare ya."

Luke simply smiled and said, "Better yet," as he removed the lid from the cup and turned as if he were going to go pour it out.

"No!" Lorelai and Rory both gasped in unison.

"I'm sorry!" Rory wailed. "It's not the coffee's fault."

"Not the poor, innocent coffee!" Lorelai said as she clamped a dramatic hand over her heart.

Luke relented, placing the lid back on the cup and saying, "I must be the one who's nuts," as he held the cup out to her.

Rory shook her head and said, "He's downright playful this morning. Who are you and what have you done with the real Luke?" she demanded.

"Sorry, I'm back now," Luke said gruffly.

Rory snatched the cup from his hand and slipped from her stool as she pointed to him. "I expect you to treat her like a lady, young man," she said archly.

Luke smirked and said to Lorelai, "Well, there go my plans for the evening. What do you want to do?" he asked with a small smile.

Lorelai gaped at him for a moment and then said, "Uh, you mentioned dinner."

Luke turned back to Rory and said, "She'll be well fed."

"I would expect nothing less," Rory said with a sniff. She waggled her fingers at her mother and said, "See you crazy kids later."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at Luke and asked, "When did you get so cocky?"

"Last night," he answered. "I'll get your food," he said as he turned toward the kitchen. He reappeared a moment later and placed a large plate of French toast in front of her and then a smaller plate loaded with bacon and sausage. "Let me know when you need your stomach pumped," he said as he turned to retrieve the coffee pot.

Lorelai eyed the massive amount of food and asked, "Are you trying to seduce me?"

Luke refilled her mug as he asked, "Is it working?"

"Yes," Lorelai said as she bit into a strip of crispy bacon. "So, what are we doing tonight?" she asked in a low voice.

"So, you told Rory?" Luke asked at the same time.

"Should I have not told her?" Lorelai asked with a worried frown.

"Whatever you want to do," Luke answered simultaneously.

Lorelai laughed and said, "Okay I think we need to take turns."

"It's fine with me that you told her. I mean, you couldn't not tell her," Luke said with a shrug.

"Did you want to keep it quiet?" Lorelai asked in a low voice.

"Me? No," Luke said with a quick shake of his head.

"We can, if you want to," Lorelai offered.

"I don't think we need to," he said. He glanced around the diner and then said, "Well, maybe we should try the dinner thing first." Seeing some tables that needed tending he shot her an apologetic look. "Gotta do some stuff. I'll be right back," he murmured as he went to do a quick round of coffee refills. Lorelai tucked into her breakfast in earnest as Luke moved through the diner, snagging empty plates and refilling depleted mugs. When he passed by her, Lorelai could swear that she saw more than a hint of a smile on his face. Lorelai finished her meal, and watched him ring up customer after customer as the bulk of the breakfast crowd thinned out. When he finally got a breather, he topped off her mug.

"What do you eat?" Lorelai blurted as she swirled a bite of sausage through the last of the syrup.

Luke shrugged and said, "I eat everything."

Lorelai snorted and said, "You do not." She frowned for a moment and then said, "I don't think I've ever seen you eat, well, except for at Thanksgiving." She looked up and asked, "Do you eat meat?"

Luke nodded and said, "Turkey is meat, Lorelai."

"I know that, but do you," she started.

"I like all kinds of food, just not in the quantities that you consume," he said with a smirk.

"Italian?" she asked.

"Yep," he answered.

"Chinese?" she tried.

"Yes, and most other ethnicities," Luke replied, seeing where her train of thought was headed. "We could go out to dinner, or, if you'd like, I can make us dinner," he offered.

Lorelai frowned and said, "Make us dinner?"

"Yeah, well, not here. Up there," he said as he pointed to the ceiling.

"I don't want to make you cook," Lorelai said with a quick shake of her head.

"I like to cook," Luke said with a shrug.

"You cook all day," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't cook this kind of stuff," Luke answered as he gestured to the counter.

"You cook other stuff?" Lorelai asked.

Luke chuckled and said, "Yes, I can cook other kinds of food."

Lorelai looked up at him quizzically and asked, "What kinds?"

"All sorts of things. I make a decent lasagna," he said modestly. "Paella, shrimp dishes, chicken, beef, whatever," he said offhandedly.

"Wow," Lorelai said in a hushed tone.

"You think I can only make burgers?" Luke asked, mildly offended.

"Uh, no, I just never thought about you cooking fancier stuff," Lorelai said quickly.

Luke gave the remaining tables a cursory glance and said, "I do, just not very often. It doesn't make much sense when it's just me," he explained.

"Ah, so you do seduce your women with food," she teased.

Luke turned his attention back to her. A slow smile crept across his face as he said, "You got a better way?"

"Would you have?" Lorelai asked suddenly.

Luke blinked and asked, "Would I have what?"

"Planted one on me," she whispered.

Luke leaned a little closer and asked in a low voice, "You want me to?"

"Yes," she whispered. When he leaned forward slightly, she held up her hand to stop him and said, "Wait."

Luke straightened, surprised to find that he was actually about to follow through with his teasing. "Sorry," he said gruffly, his ears turning pink with embarrassment.

"Don't be," Lorelai said quickly. She glanced over her shoulder and then whispered, "Not now."

"Okay," he answered with a nod.

She nodded to her plate as she picked up her purse and asked, "Will you take an IOU for this? And for that," she added with a quick smile.

"Definitely," Luke answered.

"Don't you want to know what I'll owe you?" she asked with a grin.

Luke shook his head and said, "Doesn't matter, I'll take it."

Lorelai looked up at him and said, "We should go out to dinner tonight. Something casual and easy, but I don't want you to have to cook."

"Okay," Luke answered with a nod. "Seven still okay?" he asked.

"Make it six-thirty," she said as she slipped from the stool.

"See you at six-forty-five," Luke said with a nod.

"This is going to be fun," Lorelai said, flashing him a bright smile.

Luke nodded and said calmly, "I'm looking forward to it."

Lorelai started slightly as his words echoed her dream from the previous night. "Uh, me too," she stammered. She studied him closely for a moment and then asked, "You gonna get all slicked up?"

"Thought about showering," Luke said with a smirk.

"Are you planning on shaving?" she asked with a teasing grin.

"Crossed my mind. You want me to?" he asked.

Lorelai shrugged and said, "Doesn't matter. Just, uh," she trailed off, coloring slightly.

Luke cocked his head and asked, "Just what?"

Lorelai leaned toward the counter a little as she pressed her finger under her lower lip and said, "Not this, okay?"

Luke frowned for a second as he tried to digest her meaning, and then smiled. "Okay," he said with a satisfied gleam in his eyes.

"I'll see you later," Lorelai said as she dropped her hand quickly.

"Really looking forward to it," Luke said in a deep voice as she turned to leave.

Lorelai opened the door and looked back at him as she smiled slowly and said, "Me too."

XXXX

"Sookie!" Lorelai called as she strode into the kitchen at the Independence Inn.

"There you are," Sookie cried. "I was wondering where you were this morning. Is everything okay? Is Rory okay?" she asked quickly.

"Everything is fine," Lorelai said with a wide smile.

Sookie studied her friend carefully for a moment and then asked in a hushed voice, "Did you, uh, get something?"

"What? No," Lorelai said dismissively.

"You have that happy, glowy look," Sookie said suspiciously.

Lorelai blushed slightly as she glanced at her shoes and said, "Well, I do have a date tonight."

"You do?" Sookie asked with a squeal. She clapped her hands together as she bounced on the balls of her feet and said, "A date! A date!" Then, as suddenly as she had started, she stopped and tilted her head as she asked, "With whom? Or is it who?"

Lorelai glanced around the kitchen to be sure that none of the rest of the staff was nearby as she leaned forward and whispered, "Luke."

"Lu.." Sookie managed to squeal before Lorelai clamped her hand over her friend's mouth. Her eyes widened with excitement as she began to dance around.

"Okay, okay, come on, in here Deney Terrio," Lorelai muttered as she pulled Sookie into the pantry and closed the door behind them. She cautiously pulled her hand away and then motioned for Sookie to keep it down.

"Luke!" Sookie gasped in a loud whisper. "How?" she asked excitedly.

"Last night, we got to talking and the next thing I know, we were talking about dating and Rachel and then he was saying that he has been wanting to ask me out," Lorelai said in a rush, condensing it all down to the Reader's Digest version.

"I told you! I told you!" Sookie said gleefully as she jabbed an exultant finger into Lorelai's face.

"Yes, you told me," Lorelai said patiently.

"So you're going out tonight?" Sookie asked quickly.

"Yeah, just dinner. We're going to keep it casual, no big fancy thing," Lorelai told her.

"Really? Why not fancy?" Sookie asked, her face falling with disappointment.

"I just want to be able to talk and stuff and not have him feel all uncomfortable," Lorelai explained.

"Aw, that's sweet," Sookie cooed.

"He offered to make us dinner, you know, in his apartment, but I don't think he should have to cook on a date," Lorelai said with a shake of her head.

Sookie's eyes widened as she said, "Oh, you should let him. Mia always said that Luke was an excellent chef. Not just burgers and stuff, but real food," Sookie said with an enthusiastic nod.

Lorelai bit her lower lip and asked, "I don't know, do you think it would be weird, going to his place on a first date?"

Sookie giggled and said, "Come on, it's Luke. Are you afraid that he'll use all of his slick moves on you?" she asked with a laugh.

"Sookie," Lorelai said impatiently.

Sookie sobered at her friend's worried expression and said, "Honey, do whatever you're comfortable with, but I really don't think you need to worry about it. Luke would never do anything that you didn't want him to," she said just as they heard the loud crash of trays hitting the floor in the kitchen. "Oh crap, that had better not have been my pastry shells," Sookie said as she jerked the door open and poked her head out. "Oh no!" she cried as she hurried back into the kitchen.

Lorelai looked at the pantry door and murmured, "It's not really Luke I'm worried about."

XXXX

An hour later, Lorelai sat at her desk absently tapping a pen against her blotter, as she stared into space. Finally, she dropped the pen and snatched the telephone receiver and jabbed in the number that she knew by heart. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she heard the phone ring on the other end, and was about to hang up when she heard him bark, "Luke's!"

"Hey," she said softly.

Luke paused for a moment and then lowered his voice as he pulled the phone cord away from the kitchen door and said, "Oh, hey."

"So, I've been thinking," she started to say slowly.

"Yeah?" Luke asked apprehensively.

"About dinner," she added.

"What about it?" he asked cautiously.

Lorelai twisted the phone cord around her finger as she ducked her head and said, "Maybe you should pick up some oysters and dust off the Barry White CD," she said softly.

"Huh?" Luke said with a confused shake of his head.

"Your offer to cook still stand?" she asked shyly.

"Oh! Yeah, definitely," Luke answered quickly, a relieved smile warming his tone.

"Okay, well, you don't have to pick me up, I can meet you there," she offered.

Luke paused for a second and then said firmly, "It's a date, Lorelai. I'll pick you up."

"Six-thirty," she confirmed.

Luke nodded and said, "See you at six-forty-five."

"Make it six-thirty, I'll tell myself six-fifteen," Lorelai promised.

"You got it," Luke answered.

"See you then," she said with small smile.

"I'll be there," Luke assured her before hanging up. He poked his head into the kitchen and called, "Pretty dead out here. I need to run out for a minute." He tossed his pad onto the counter and headed out of the door, making a beeline for Doose's.

XXXX

"This was incredible," Lorelai said, looking up at him with a bright smile as he took her empty plate and placed it on the kitchen counter.

"Thank you," Luke said as he turned and looked down at her. "You ready for dessert now, or do you want to wait a bit?" he asked.

Lorelai stood up and said, "I think I can wait a little while." She took two steps over to him and placed her hand on his chest as she looked up through her lashes and whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he murmured as he lowered his head and kissed her softly. Lorelai stepped into him, pressing her soft curves against his hard chest as Luke skimmed one hand through her thick curls.

Lorelai pulled back slightly and said, "Mmm, delicious."

"Yes, you are," Luke answered as he pulled her to him, holding her tightly as he lowered his mouth and kissed her deeply. Lorelai moaned softly and slipped her hands up under the hem of his sweater, running her fingers over the smooth skin of his back as she melted into him. "Oh, Lorelai," he murmured as he pressed hot kisses to her jaw and down to her neck.

"I want you so much," she whispered as she dug her nails into the soft skin of his back.

"Not as much as I want you," Luke said, his voice muffled against her throat.

"Bet me," she said in a husky voice as she tugged his sweater up over his back. Luke stepped back, letting her strip it from him and standing still as she ran her hands appreciatively over his chest. She trailed them up over his shoulders, kneading the taut muscles gently before letting them slide down his arms, squeezing and testing his biceps before releasing him and taking a step back. She looked up at him boldly as she started to unbutton her blouse. When she saw his eyes widen fractionally, she said in a soft, seductive voice, "Luke, there's something I need to tell you."

"Yes?" he asked in a rusty voice.

"I've wanted you for a long time," she confessed as she peeled her blouse away, revealing the pale pink lace bra beneath. She looked him in the eye as she whispered, "I want you to make love to me. Now," she added firmly.

Luke closed the distance between them and swept her up into his arms. He carried her over to his bed and placed her gently on it. With utmost care, he unbuttoned her skirt and drew the zipper down before he began to slide it over her hips. After tossing the skirt aside, he quickly removed his jeans and socks, joining her on the bed in nothing but a pair of green and blue plaid boxers. He balanced himself on one elbow as he leaned over to kiss her again, savoring the sweet taste of her tongue against his. His quick fingers opened the front closure on her bra, and Lorelai arched into him as he filled the palm of his hand with her warm breast.

"Luke?" she called softly.

"Luke? Luke, dear," Patty said as she shook his arm a little to get his attention.

"Huh?" Luke said as he blinked rapidly trying to clear his vision.

"Sweetheart, I hope that you decided that you didn't want that tomato," Patty said with a worried frown. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked with a concerned expression.

"What? Oh," Luke said as he glanced down and saw the bruised tomato that his fingers had dug into. "Uh, no, too soft," he said as he quickly set it aside.

"Well, it certainly is now," Patty said with a chuckle.

"I was just, uh, thinking about some stuff I have to do at the diner, and I guess my mind drifted," Luke said uncomfortably.

"Yes, well, try not to take it out on the produce, dear," Patty said as she reached up to pat his cheek. "It can be tender," she called over her shoulder as she sashayed down the aisle with her basket over her arm.

Luke turned back to the produce display, his eyes automatically drawn to the innocent tomato that he had molested. He opened a plastic bag and dropped the tomato into it, adding two more before twisting it closed impatiently. "Maybe cooking at my place isn't such a great idea," he mumbled as he moved over to the meat case.

tbc


	5. Appetizers

**A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to all who have been reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it. Okay, let's see if we can't make those dreams come true. Ready? Steady? Here we go…**

**Appetizers**

That afternoon, the diner was quiet, Joe had gone home and Caesar had not come in to take over for the evening yet. Luke commandeered a corner of the diner's kitchen and started prepping his evening meal. He'd scrapped the entire menu once already, when he realized that the shrimp scampi and bruschetta he had shopped for leaned heavily on the garlic, and that may be a bit counter-productive to where he wanted the evening to lead. He raided the diner's walk-in and liberated some steaks, which he was marinating in a homemade concoction that included everything but garlic and onion. He scrubbed two big baking potatoes and wrapped them in foil. Then he made a small tossed salad and wondered idly if he would manage to get Lorelai to choke some down. Having reverted to a fairly simple meal, Luke decided to go for broke on dessert.

Knowing Lorelai's love for pie and all things chocolate, he pulled out a cookbook and found a recipe for a sinfully rich chocolate silk pie and started crushing Oreos to make the crust. Once he slid the crust into the oven to bake for a few minutes, he dipped the lower half of a dozen plump red strawberries in rich dark chocolate and placed them on waxed paper to set up while he started to prepare the filling. An hour later, he was standing at the counter staring out into the square as he saw a flood of teenagers spilling from the doors of the high school. He watched with mild interest as the young boys jostled and tossed footballs to each other and packs of girls giggled and clumped together. He saw a small dark haired girl emerge from the crowd alone, and recognized Lane as she pulled a floral appliquéd sweater from her backpack. A moment later, she climbed the steps of the diner and called, "Hi, Luke," as she breezed through the door. She held up the sweater as she dropped her backpack into a nearby chair and unzipped her coat. "Mind if I turn back into Clark Kent here?" she asked.

"Knock yourself out," Luke said as he leaned against the back counter, trying to will the clock to move faster.

Lane pulled the sweater over her Ramones t-shirt and said, "Pretty quiet day, huh?"

"Yeah," Luke said with a nod. "You want a Coke or something?" he asked.

Lane shook her head and said, "No thanks, I had to spend the last of my cash on a replacement copy of London Calling because mine mysteriously disappeared, leaving a gaping hole in the British Invasion section."

Luke nodded as he tried to follow what she was saying. "The collection is getting pretty extensive then, huh?" he asked, mentally kicking around the comment Lorelai had made earlier on the phone.

"I'm pleased with the progress. I have a little of everything and a lot of some things," Lane said with a nod. She pulled a barrette from her jeans pocket, and clipped one side of her hair back demurely before smoothing the rest into place. "There, respectable?" she asked.

"Very," Luke answered with a nod.

"Thanks, Luke. I get to spend three hours at bible study tonight, aren't I the lucky girl?" she asked with a wry smile.

Luke pressed his lips together and then blurted, "You got any Barry White?"

Lane raised an eyebrow and said, "Yeah, why?"

"Can I borrow it for tonight?" he asked. "I promise, I'll replace it if anything happens to it, not that anything will," he said quickly. "It's kind of for a joke," he added with a shrug.

Lane narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Aren't you having dinner with Lorelai tonight?"

"How do you know that?" Luke asked as he blinked in surprise.

Lane rolled her eyes and said, "Luke, Rory has been my best friend since before I could name the seven deadly sins."

"Ah," Luke said with a nod.

"Don't get me wrong, I think it's great," Lane said quickly. She cocked her head and asked, "You planning on going all 'Love Unlimited' on her?"

"It was just a joke. She made some comment about Barry White and I thought I'd just mess with her," Luke said dismissively. "Forget it," he said with a wave of his hand.

"No, it's no problem. I can drop it by on my way to youth group," she said with a nod. "It will cost you that Coke, though," she said as she as she pointed at him sternly.

Luke nodded as he turned to pour her Coke and said, "You are your mother's daughter."

"Bite your tongue," Lane muttered as she hopped up onto a stool. "For that, you can add cherry," she admonished.

"Coming right up," Luke said with a nod.

XXXX

Lorelai stared into the mirror as she swiped another coat of mascara onto her lashes. She was trying hard to concentrate on just getting ready, but even that was proving to be difficult. Rory was sitting on her bed, debating the pros and cons of various outfits to a non-responsive audience. Lorelai was too busy trying to figure out an excuse not to change clothes in front of her daughter because she didn't want Rory catching sight of the brand new pale blue matching bra and panty set she had bought that day in hopes of making at least part of last night's dream come true. In her mind, it was bad enough that Mommy was too worked up to think straight, she didn't feel the need to parade the evidence of her desperation in front of her daughter.

"So, I think the dark jeans with the fluffy blue sweater is the way to go," Rory concluded.

"What if he's allergic to angora?" Lorelai managed to respond.

Rory frowned and said, "Didn't think about that. Do you think he is?"

Lorelai shrugged and said, "How would I know?"

"Seems like a fairly far fetched allergy, I think you'll be okay," Rory assured her with a decisive nod. She walked over to the bathroom door and said, "Almost time, you should get dressed."

Lorelai dawdled, twisting another lock of hair around her curling iron. She glanced up and asked, "Will you go down and answer the door?"

"I don't answer the door, remember?" Rory said with a frown.

Lorelai gave her daughter a long suffering stare and said, "Rory, its Luke. You already know and like Luke."

"Yeah, it's Luke, so that makes it even weirder that he's picking you up for a date," Rory countered.

"I thought that you were okay with this," Lorelai said as she slowly lowered the curling iron to the vanity top.

"I am, but that doesn't mean that I want to bear witness to it," Rory said with a shrug.

"I doubt that Luke is going to come to the door and yell, 'Hey, baby, you ready to get it on?'" Lorelai said with a laugh. "As a matter of fact, I will bet you ten dollars that his first words are more like, 'Hey, Rory. You studying?' or something like that," Lorelai said, using her deep man-voice.

Rory snorted and said, "You do a horrible Luke."

"Stop distracting me, and stop hovering, you're making me nervous," Lorelai said as she picked up the curling iron again and wound another lock of hair into a ringlet.

Rory sighed as she pushed herself off of the doorframe with her elbow and said, "Fine, I'll go down and be Carlton your doorman."

"Great, that makes me Rhoda," Lorelai grumbled.

Rory grinned and said, "Yeah, but look on the bright side, we're casting Nancy Walker to play Grandma."

Lorelai smiled at the thought and said, "You always know just how to make me feel better."

Rory reached out and touched her mother's arm as she said, "I've never seen you this excited before."

"I've never had a date with Luke before," Lorelai answered softly.

"Feels special? I mean, you know, different than the others?" Rory asked cautiously.

"It's different, and special," Lorelai said with a nod.

Rory smiled and said, "I'm really excited for you. For both of you, actually."

Lorelai smirked as she shot a sidelong glance at Rory and said, "Don't get too excited, the whole evening may crash and burn."

Rory cocked her head as she backed from the doorway and asked, "You think it will?"

Lorelai smiled as she glanced down, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks as she said, "No, I think it'll be a really good date."

"I'll go wait for your gentleman caller," Rory said as she jerked a thumb toward the stairs.

"Thanks, Sweets," Lorelai called after her. She waited several beats and then stepped out of the bathroom, tugging the oversized t-shirt she had put on to cover the evidence over her head as she headed for the full length mirror. She tossed the shirt aside as she stood in front of the mirror and eyed her reflection critically. She leaned forward, shaking her breasts slightly as she reached into the lacy cups of the new bra, muttering, "Come on girls, get up there." She stepped back and eyed her reflection again, running a finger under the elastic at each side of the panties, and tugging them up a little higher on her legs. She nodded with approval and reached for the bottle of perfume she had decided on after she remembered how Luke had made an offhanded comment about her smelling good one day. She spritzed a little in the general direction of her stylishly enhanced cleavage, and stepped into the cloud of scent, feeling it rain onto her skin with a delicious shiver of anticipation.

She quickly pulled on the jeans and sweater that Rory had selected, noting that the v-neck of the sweater offered a hint of the valley between her breasts and clung gently to her curves. She stepped back and turned to check the rear view as she smoothed her hands over the back of the jeans. She smiled smugly, knowing that this particular pair not only fit well, but with her black boots, made her legs look a mile long. She rummaged at the bottom of her closet for the boots and then hurried to the edge of the bed to pull them on. When she finished, she added a slim silver necklace with a pendant that nestled nicely deep in the vee opening and clipped a pair of slim silver hoops to her ears. She fluffed her hair and then smoothed the curls back into place by winding them around her fingers.

She heard a knock on the door, and froze, her eyes darting to the clock on her nightstand. She lowered her hand slowly as she whispered, "Six-thirty. Showtime." She took one last look in the mirror and then said to her reflection, "Break a leg, but not literally. That would be bad. So unattractive," she muttered as she picked up the small purse into which she had transferred her lip gloss and cell phone and checked it for the fiftieth time.

XXXX

Luke pulled up to Lorelai's house and smiled as he saw every light in the place blazing away. He took his time getting out of the truck, knowing that even though he was on time, she still wouldn't be ready. He automatically tested the sturdiness of the porch rail as he walked by, found it a little loose, and made a mental note to come by to fix it sometime in the next few days. He stopped at the front door and looked for any sign of movement beyond the frosted glass before lifting his hand to knock. The door opened a moment later and Rory smiled up at him. "Hi, Rory," Luke said gruffly, a faint hint of blush creeping up his neck.

"Hey, Luke. Come on in," she said as she stepped back to allow him to pass. "Her majesty is still primping," she said as she gestured to the living room.

"I'll be down in a second," Lorelai called from her bedroom as she quickly plucked the lip gloss from her purse and tried to apply an extra coat of courage with a slightly trembling hand.

Rory gestured for Luke to sit on the couch and then perched on the arm of the chair as he dropped down onto the cushion. "So, you got a lot of homework tonight?" Luke asked, casting about for a safe topic.

Rory smiled, knowing that her mother had pegged him perfectly, and said, "Yeah, I have a paper I'm working on and an exam coming up."

Luke nodded and then asked, "But you like it, though, right? Chilton?"

"Yeah, I like it. I mean, I like the classes and stuff. I'm not as crazy about the social aspect," she said with a shrug.

Luke nodded his understanding and said, "I bet."

Rory glanced at the stairs expectantly and then rolled her eyes at Luke. When he smiled in return, Rory said in a low voice, "This will get her." She cleared her throat and said in a loud, but firm tone, "So, what exactly are your intentions with my mother?"

Luke chuckled and said, "They are honorable."

"Can you provide for her? We'll need a house that doesn't fall down around our ears, new cars every two years, three vacations per year – two tropical, one snow related," she said loudly.

"Wow, that's pretty steep," Luke said with a low chuckle.

"And you mentioned two goats?" Rory asked, raising her voice a little more.

"I'm worth at least three," Lorelai said as she hurried down the stairs. "Hi," she said as she kept her hand on the banister.

"Hi," Luke said as he stood up. He glanced over at Rory and then back at Lorelai as he said, "I was going to counter with two goats and a calf."

"Fatted?" Rory asked.

"We can work out the details later," Luke said with a shrug.

Rory stood up and scooted between them on her way to her room as she said, "Okay, but remember, she turns into a pumpkin at midnight, and no drive-ins."

"Yes, ma'am," Luke answered without taking his eyes from Lorelai.

Lorelai glanced over her shoulder when she heard Rory's door close and then turned back to find him still staring at her. "Hi," she said again with a slightly goofy smile.

"You look beautiful," Luke said in a husky voice.

Lorelai's smile widened as she stepped closer to him and said, "You look pretty nice yourself." Without thinking she reached up and stroked his smooth cheek with her fingertips. Her eyes dropped to his mouth as Luke's lips parted in surprise and he blinked slowly. Lorelai gave her head a little shake as she let her hand fall to her side and said, "Sorry."

The corners of Luke's lips lifted as he said, "Don't be." He cleared his throat and ducked his head, looking up at her as he asked, "You ready?"

"Yeah," Lorelai answered. "Yeah, I'm ready. Starved, I mean," she said as she turned to get her coat from the hall tree. Luke took it from her hand and held it open for her to slip into. "Such a gentleman," she said as she grinned back at him over her shoulder.

"Rory said I had to treat you like a lady, remember?" Luke teased as he settled the coat on her shoulders. Lorelai automatically reached up to brush her hair from her collar, but then paused as she felt his fingers brush against her neck as he gently lifted it free.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"Button up, it's a chilly night," Luke said gruffly as he let his hands rest briefly on her shoulders.

"All set," Lorelai said as she fastened two buttons in front. Luke reached around her to open the front door and held it open for her. Lorelai turned and called into the house, "Bye, Sweets. Call my cell if you need anything!"

"I won't. Bye, guys, have a nice dinner," Rory called back.

Luke pulled the door closed behind him and asked, "She'll lock it, right?"

Lorelai cocked her head as she turned to look at him and asked, "Is 'yes' the answer that will make you feel better?"

"Yes," he answered with a pointed look.

Lorelai smiled and said, "She will. Rory's paranoid, just like you," she teased.

"Sensible, unlike some people," Luke grumbled as he led her to the passenger side of the truck.

As Luke opened the door for her, Lorelai pointed at him and said, "Admit it, you were one of those kids who thought it would have been cool to live in the plastic bubble."

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "Would you just get in, please?"

"Smooth talker," Lorelai said with a laugh as he made sure she was settled and stepped back with a shake of his head. "That makes all of the girls swoon doesn't it?" she teased.

When she looked up at him with that radiant smile, Luke was a goner. He stepped back into the open door and bent his head, capturing that smile with his lips and kissing her sweetly. Lorelai soft gasp of surprise turned into a sigh of pleasure as she lifted her hand to the back of his neck and held him there. Luke broke the kiss and pulled away a fraction of an inch as he whispered, "You pushed, I had to push back."

"I've been wanting you to do that all day," Lorelai answered as he straightened.

Luke flashed a self-deprecating smile as he stepped back and said, "Lorelai, I've been wanting to do that for years," before closing her door with a gentle thud.

When he opened his door and climbed behind the wheel, Lorelai turned in her seat to face him fully. "Years?" she asked incredulously.

"Years," Luke answered with a nod as he turned the key. When he turned to look at her he smiled and said, "The first time you came into my diner, I thought you were probably the prettiest woman I have ever seen, so of course I wanted to kiss you. And then, you opened your mouth," he said ominously.

"And you still wanted to kiss me?" she asked.

Luke smirked and said, "Yeah, but then it was more about shutting you up."

"Prettier than Elle MacPhearson?" she asked softly.

"Who?" Luke replied with a frown.

Lorelai simply shook her head and said, "Nevermind."

Luke nodded and put the truck into reverse, hooking his arm over the back of the seat as he looked over his shoulder and said gruffly, "Prettier then whoever that is."

"How would you know, if you don't know who she is?" Lorelai asked.

Luke backed onto the street and put the truck into first as he shot her an exasperated look and said, "You're right, she's probably prettier."

Lorelai gasped and took a swipe at his arm as she exclaimed, "Hey! You're on a date with me, you have to say I'm prettier, it's a rule."

"I did, but you wanted to argue it," Luke said with a laugh. Lorelai sat back and crossed her arms over her chest as she began to pout. "Aw, now, don't pull that. I said 'prettiest' actually, and that means the most, right?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Oooh, it does," Lorelai agreed, brightening instantly.

Luke rubbed his forehead with his left hand and mumbled, "I'm already exhausted."

Lorelai smirked and said, "Then you need to work on your stamina."

"I'm not going to discuss my stamina with you," Luke said darkly.

Lorelai's smile widened as she said, "Don't you think we should? I mean, if it's going to be a problem…" she said as she let the thought trail off.

"There's no problem," Luke growled.

"You said that you were already exhausted and we only kissed once," Lorelai pointed out.

"And that may be it," Luke said as he turned down the alley behind the diner.

"Oh, now, that would be too bad. It was a very nice kiss," Lorelai said as she shook her head sadly.

Luke pulled to a stop near the back door, put the truck into neutral, set the parking brake and turned off the engine seemingly in one fluid motion. He turned to her and said, "Stay there," as he opened his door. He hurried around the front of the truck, opened her door, and stood back as she sat still in her seat staring up at him. "What's the matter?" he asked.

"Oh, I thought there would be another door kiss," Lorelai said as she swung her legs out of the door. "I thought it was a thing," she said as he helped her to the ground.

Luke braced one hand against the top of the truck and leaned in slightly as he asked in a low, sexy voice, "Do you want it to be a thing?"

Lorelai reached up and pulled him down to her, brushing her lips across his lightly. When she released him he rocked back on his heels and she said, "Seemed nice."

"A thing it is," he said as he took her hand in his and pulled her away from the truck so that he could close the door. He smiled over his shoulder at her as he led her to the back door of the diner. He unlocked the door and opened it for her, waiting for her to precede him. When she hesitated, he laughed and said, "Okay, if it's going to be every door, we'll never get anywhere."

"True," Lorelai said reluctantly as she stepped into the back hallway.

Luke closed the door and locked it behind them as he gestured to the stairs and said, "Go on up."

Lorelai began to climb, her hand trailing along the smooth wooden banister. "I've never been up here," she said idly.

"You haven't?" Luke asked as he followed her, fighting valiantly to keep his eyes above her waist.

Lorelai shook her head and said, "No, why would I? Unless, you've been having wild parties and not inviting me," she said with a shrug.

"No parties," Luke answered as they reached the top of the stairs. Lorelai stood aside as he unlocked a door with frosted glass that read, 'Williams Hardware – Office.' He let the door swing open and said, "It's not much, it used to be my Dad's office," he explained as she stepped into the small apartment. "I didn't see the point in living in the house all by myself, so I sold it and moved in up here," he said as he placed his keys in a small bowl on a shelf near the door.

"Wow, uh, cozy," Lorelai said as she glanced around the small space.

"Tiny, but I don't spend a lot of time up here, so it doesn't really bother me," Luke said with a shrug. He walked over to the fridge and asked, "Would you like some wine or a beer or something?"

Lorelai looked at him and asked, "What are you having?"

Luke shrugged and said, "I thought I'd open the wine to have for dinner, but I was going to have a beer now."

"Beer is good," Lorelai said as she walked around the living room area, looking at his bookshelves and bending closer to inspect the inscriptions on a shelf full of trophies. "Wow, you were Super Jock, weren't you?" she said with a grin.

Luke rolled his eyes as he approached with an open bottle of beer and then hesitated as he asked, "Do you want a glass?"

Lorelai snorted and asked, "Have you ever seen me drink a beer out of a glass before?"

"No, but I'm supposed to be treating you like a lady," Luke said with a smile.

"Well, this lady is happy with the bottle," she said as she took it from his fingers. She turned to face him and said, "Smells good in here."

"Most everything is ready when you are," he told her. "I just have a few things to take care of, but they'll only take a few minutes," he told her.

"What are we having?" she asked.

Luke rubbed his cheek and said, "Well, steak and baked potatoes. I had planned on making some other stuff, but I realized that it probably wouldn't be a good idea, if we wanted to be able to, uh, speak to each other for the rest of the night."

"Huh?" Lorelai asked with a quizzical smile.

"I forgot about the garlic factor," Luke admitted.

"Oh, yes," Lorelai said with an exaggerated nod. "Yes, that could inhibit the, uh, speaking, was it?" she asked teasingly.

"Exactly," Luke said as he lifted his bottle and took a drink of his beer.

"I hardly ever see you without the cap and flannel," Lorelai said as she tugged at the sleeve of his sweater playfully.

Luke smirked and said, "I guess I'm lucky that you recognized me."

"You look good," she said sincerely.

Luke smiled as he ducked his head and then looked up at her through his lashes. "Good how?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Really good," she said as she stepped closer to him.

"If we start this, we'll never eat dinner," Luke said in a low voice.

"Not hungry," Lorelai said as she lifted her face to meet his steady gaze.

"I want more," Luke said softly.

"I want it all," Lorelai answered frankly.

Luke swallowed hard as he turned away, placing his beer on the table next to the couch and then gently taking hers from her fingers and setting it next to his. He turned back to her and raised both hands to cradle her face, his thumbs stroking gently along her jaw line. "I mean, I want more than to just be with you, uh, you know. I want to be with you," he said as he stared down at her intently.

Lorelai's tongue darted out to wet her lips as she whispered, "Me too."

Luke nodded slowly as he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her with the fire stoked by years of silent yearning. Lorelai moaned softly as he buried both hands in her hair and gently pulled her head back to allow him better access to her. Her lips parted under his, and her tongue tentatively brushed over his lower lip. She felt him groan, a deep rumbling in his chest vibrating against her as she pulled him closer, curving her body against his. Luke's tongue plunged into her mouth, tangling with hers as Lorelai rubbed against him sinuously. Luke pulled his mouth from hers with a frustrated groan and held onto her shoulders to steady her as he took a step back.

Lorelai opened her dazed eyes to find him staring at her, his chest heaving, his lips parted as he fought for breath. "What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"Too much?" he asked raggedly.

"Not enough," she answered as she tried to move toward him again. When he held her firmly, Lorelai could see the want and the indecision warring in his dark blue eyes. She looked at him steadily and said in a gentle but firm voice, "I want you to make love to me, Luke. Now," she added just to be clear.

Luke blinked in surprise and stepped back a little further as he asked, "I'm awake, right? I mean, I'm not standing in the middle of Doose's staring into space like some kind of moron, am I?" he asked blankly.

"What are you talking about?" Lorelai asked with a confused frown. She reached up and touched his cheek, her frown melting into a smile as he turned into her palm and rubbed his cheek against it as if to reassure himself.

"Nothing," Luke said as he lifted his eyes to meet her gaze, and tried to push aside the sense of déjà vu that made his heart hammer.

Lorelai's breath caught as she saw the flame of raw desire in their deep blue depths. "Luke?" she murmured as she pulled him back to her, kissing him hungrily.

As Luke pulled back, he trailed his fingertips along the vee of her angora sweater. "This is pretty," he said in a hoarse voice.

"Thank you. Take it off," she told him.

Luke lifted the hem of her sweater as Lorelai raised her arms, allowing him to strip it from her. He tossed it onto the chair and then ran his hands up the sides of her ribcage as he stared down at her. His fingers skimmed the sides of her breast before slipping under the strap on her shoulder. He ran his finger slowly against her soft skin as he said, "This is very pretty." He pulled the strap slowly down over her shoulder and lowered his mouth to the hollow of her collarbone, licking and nipping at her skin gently before he drew it into his mouth and laved it with his tongue.

"Off," she whispered as she cradled his head to her.

Luke lifted his head, pressing his lips to hers and propelling her back with the force of his kiss. As the backs of her knees hit the edge of the old leather couch, Lorelai grabbed two fistfuls of his sweater, and pulled him down with her as she fell back. She bumped her head hard on the padded arm of the couch as she stretched out and grunted, "Oof!"

Luke braced his arms on either side of her to keep his weight off of her as he asked, "You okay?"

"Kiss me, make it better," she said as she tugged on one elbow.

Luke lowered himself to her, kissing her eagerly as he pressed her into the cushions on the couch. "I have a bed," he panted as he trailed hot, wet kisses down the side of her neck.

"Too far," Lorelai said as she tugged at the hem of his sweater. "Need to feel you," she said breathlessly.

Luke rose up on his arms, letting her pull the sweater over his head and then lifting each arm in turn until she could be rid of the offending garment. He looked down at her, staring up at him with lust dazed blue eyes, the freckles that dusted her chest dancing with each shallow breath that she drew, and the soft white mounds of her breasts spilling over the edges of the lacy cups of her baby blue bra. "Oh, Lorelai," he sighed. "Incredible," he murmured as he lifted a hand to trace the edge of lace that dipped down into the valley between her breasts.

Lorelai arched up off of the couch as she said, "Touch me."

Luke watched her face as he covered her lace clad breast, cupping her gently in his palm. He felt her nipple bead, hardening against his touch and a soft groan escaped his lips. He pressed down on her, unconsciously grinding his straining erection against her as she rose up to meet him. Unable to bear the contact, he shifted away, pushing down to lower his head. He nuzzled the valley between her breasts as he continued to knead her through her bra. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he said without thinking.

"What?" she asked softly.

Luke chuckled a little against her skin and said, "Kissing you. Touching you," he said as he looked up at her.

"Please, Luke, please," she said with an encouraging smile. Luke squeezed her breast roughly, struggling to control himself as he covered her other nipple with his mouth and drew the lacy material against his tongue. "Oh yes," she breathed as she threaded her fingers through his soft hair. "Luke, touch me," she whispered raggedly.

Luke looked up and gently pressed his fingertip to her lower lip and then let it trail slowly down, tracing the line of her throat as she swallowed thickly, skimming over the dusting of freckles on her chest, and down to the clasp of her bra. He looked up at her questioningly, and at her slight nod, he slipped his fingers under it and deftly opened it. He peeled each side back reverently, exposing her tender flesh to his heated gaze. He slid down a little and pressed his lips gently to the curve beneath one breast, testing the weight of it against his lips and tasting the sweetness of her skin. "So beautiful," he murmured as he caressed her gently.

As Lorelai shifted and arched into him, the telephone rang, and she stilled instantly. "Machine," Luke mumbled as he persisted, undeterred by the incessant ringing. He covered her dusky nipple with his mouth and drew her gently to him. Releasing her only long enough to draw a ragged breath, Luke distantly heard the beep as the answering machine clicked on.

"Uh, hi Luke, it's Liz," a woman with a raspy voice said cautiously.

Luke's tender ministrations slowed fractionally and he lifted his head as he felt Lorelai stiffen slightly beneath him.

"Um, I don't know if you got my other message or not. Maybe you're just avoiding me," Liz said with a hallow chuckle. "I really need to talk to you, Luke," she said, desperation creeping into her voice as Luke exhaled a long suffering sigh. "I just, things aren't going so good, you know?" she continued. "I need to talk to you. Please, call me, okay?" she said in a tear choked voice before disconnecting.

Luke was still processing the message when he felt Lorelai pushing frantically at his shoulders. He shook his head to clear it, and realized that she was trying to wriggle out from under him.

"Off, get off of me," she grunted.

"Lorelai," Luke started to protest as he sat back to let her up.

"Maybe you should turn the volume down on the machine, that way the current conquest doesn't have to hear the pleadings of the previous victims," she said venomously as she hurriedly secured her bra.

"That's my sister," Luke said blankly as he pointed to the answering machine.

"Uh huh," Lorelai said as she scooped her sweater up off of the chair and tried to turn it right side out.

Luke scrambled up off of the couch as he said, "It is! That's my sister, Liz."

"What sister?' Lorelai snapped as she shrugged into her sweater.

"My sister. My younger sister," Luke insisted as he stepped over to stand in front of her.

"How could I not know that you have a sister?' Lorelai asked suspiciously.

"I don't know," he said as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "She hasn't lived here in years. She took off when she was seventeen," Luke told her. He glanced around the apartment frantically until he spotted the old framed family photo taken just before his mother died. He strode to the shelf and snatched it up from the spot where it had rested untouched except for the occasional glancing blow with a feather duster for the last decade. He walked back over to her and held the photograph out for her inspection. "She has a kid, Jess, he's about Rory's age," he told her as Lorelai studied the photo.

Lorelai looked up at him blankly and asked, "You have a sister?"

"Yes, Liz," Luke answered patiently. He laughed and said, "A sister I have, conquests, not so many."

"Liz," Lorelai murmured as she studied the photograph again. "You had blonde hair," she said with a glimmer of a smile quirking at her lips.

"And that's enough of that," Luke said gruffly as he took the frame from her hands and returned it to the shelf. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he turned around. He gestured helplessly to the phone and said, "I should probably call her back."

Lorelai nodded quickly and said, "She sounded upset."

Luke snorted and said, "That's pretty much normal for Liz. She tends to get herself into a lot of jams."

Lorelai nodded as comprehension bloomed and said, "And calls you to fix it."

Luke shrugged and said, "She probably just needs money."

Lorelai's brow furrowed as she said softly, "I know so little about you."

Luke bent down and scooped his sweater up off of the floor as he said, "If you'll give me a minute to call her, and finish up dinner, I'll tell you anything you want to know."

Lorelai watched the play of his muscles as he righted the sweater and then pulled it over his head. "Anything?" she asked suspiciously.

"You'll stay?" he replied hopefully.

"I am a little hungry," Lorelai admitted as she reached out to stroke the soft wool of his sweater.

Luke caught her hand and brought it to his lips as he said, "Stay. I'll get dinner ready while I talk to Liz, and I'll feed you, and we'll talk."

"And after that?" Lorelai asked curiously.

"Whatever you want, Lorelai," he said sincerely. "I'll do whatever you want."

Lorelai smirked and said, "Left yourself wide open there."

"I have nothing to hide, and nothing to be scared of," he said with a shrug. He looked down at the two forgotten beers on the end table and said, "I'll pour you a glass of wine. Sit, relax."

tbc


	6. Dinner, the Designated Hitter & Dessert

**Well, dear readers, this is it for this little tale. Thank you for sticking with me through the interruptions, but that's how it goes sometimes, isn't it? I hope that you'll forgive me for the teasing, and that you are happy with where we end up. As always, I'm a little sad to let this one go, but I think that they'll be okay with me there to prod them along. I thank you most sincerely for your reviews and support. I hope that you enjoyed the ride.**

**Dinner, the Designated Hitter, and Dessert**

Lorelai's boots lay cast aside near the couch where she had curled up with a glass of wine while Luke finished preparing their dinner and talked to his sister. A small bowl of melting chipped ice that once held peeled shrimp sat forgotten on the end table. Barry White crooned his soulful songs of seduction from an ancient boom box on a bookshelf, as Lorelai Gilmore tucked one sock clad foot under her as she sat up in her chair and stared woefully at her decimated plate. She leaned across the table as she looked up and asked, "So, Lucas William Danes, age 37 last November, son of William and Caroline Danes, and from what I heard, grumbly, yet protective brother to Liz Danes, do I know everything now?"

"You should, you asked enough questions," Luke muttered as she stared longingly at his plate. With a sigh, he pushed it closer to her so that she could pick at the remains of his baked potato. He watched as she scooped up a tiny forkful and said, "I have dessert, you know."

"You are a good man," Lorelai said with a nod as she gathered more potato on the tines of her fork.

"Anything else you want to ask?" he asked as he watched her. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table and toying with the base of his barely touched glass of wine. "Aren't you going to ask what you're dying to know?" he teased.

Lorelai's eyes flew to his as she asked innocently, "What do you mean?"

"Rachel. Aren't you going to ask me anything more about her?" he prodded with a nervous laugh.

Lorelai tilted her head and watched his reaction carefully as she asked, "Did you mean what you said last night? About how you feel," she clarified. "Or don't feel," she babbled nervously.

"Yes," Luke asserted quietly.

"Then I guess that's all I need to know," she said with a slow nod.

"I want you to be comfortable, with me, with us," he said as he gestured between them.

"I am. I mean, I kind of am," she said with a shrug. "It's new," she added with a laugh.

"Yes, it is," Luke agreed with a pleased smile.

"Anything you want to know about me?" Lorelai asked curiously.

Luke sat back and crossed his arms over his chest and said, "Well, let's see. Lorelai Victoria Gilmore, age 32, soon to be 33. Um, mother of Rory, also named Lorelai. Daughter of Emily and Richard, and the rebellious only-child of a wealthy Hartford family. Left home with baby daughter at about seventeen, landed in Stars Hollow, worked her way up at the Independence Inn over the last fifteen years, and is now Executive Manager." He smirked at her and asked, "How'm I doing so far?"

"Very good," Lorelai said with an impressed nod, a little stunned that he had paid such close attention over the years.

"Coffee addict, junk food fanatic, movie fiend, good friend and devoted mother. So devoted that she recently dated one of Rory's teachers, I believe. That was an interesting tidbit," he said gruffly. "Trying to get an in on her term paper grade?" he asked, a bit of an edge to his voice.

"Wow, you pick up a lot," Lorelai said as she flushed slightly, both embarrassed that he knew about Max and pleased that he seemed to be more than a little jealous.

"People talk. Most of the time they do it in my diner," Luke said with a shrug.

"He's a nice guy," she said simply.

"I'm sure he is," Luke said evenly. "That's, uh, over?" he asked pointedly.

"Yes, over," Lorelai answered as she returned his steady gaze.

"Good," Luke replied. He lowered his hands to his legs and rubbed his palms over his denim clad thighs nervously as he said, "I guess all I really need to know is, why now? You and me," he clarified.

Lorelai set her fork down and pushed his plate away slightly as she folded her arms on the table and leaned over them. She glanced up, looking at him out of the corner of her eye as she said, "I don't really know." She took a deep breath and said, "I think it's been there for a while, you know? I just, I didn't," she stammered. "I guess I just couldn't let myself think about you that way. At least, not too often," she said with a chuckle. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she picked up her fork again and poked at the remains of his dinner. "I was afraid to screw things up, friend-wise," she said quietly.

Luke nodded as he digested the information. "So, finding out about Rachel…" he said leadingly.

"Made me jealous," she answered bluntly as she turned to look him straight in the eye.

"And if you hadn't felt that way? I mean, if you never, if it hadn't bothered you, would this have ever happened?" he asked hesitantly.

Lorelai looked down at the decimated potato and then back up at him slowly as she said, "Seems kind of inevitable, doesn't it?"

A nervous laugh escaped him as he said, "I didn't think so, but I'm glad you did."

Lorelai smiled and blurted, "Rory told me once that I couldn't date you." When Luke's head jerked back as if he'd been slapped, she gasped and shook her head. "Oh, no! She meant because of me," she rushed to explain as she dropped the fork back to the plate. "She doesn't want me hurting you," she said quickly.

"Oh," Luke said as he took a deep breath.

"You're important to both of us," she told him. "As a matter of fact, she told me to date Al because his food sucks," she said with a shaky smile.

"Don't date Al," Luke said with a quick shake of his head.

"Didn't plan on it," Lorelai answered. She looked at him steadily as she said, "I'm really scared of screwing this up."

"Then let's try really hard not to," he said with quiet conviction.

Lorelai laughed and said, "You forget what a talent I have for screwing up my life."

"I don't think you've screwed up anything," Luke told her sincerely.

"You must be blinded by my beauty, forgetting who you're talking to," she said with a snort.

"I don't forget anything about you, Lorelai," Luke answered simply.

She sat tracing the rim of her glass with her fingertip, lost in thought for a moment. When she looked up, she asked cautiously, "Did I answer your question?"

"Yeah," he said gruffly.

"Good," Lorelai said with a relieved smile. She glanced over at the clock and said, "Hey, uh, so, still early, huh?"

"Yep," Luke answered. "The advantage of being ready that extra fifteen minutes early," he said with a wry smile.

"Made all the difference in the world," Lorelai agreed.

"You want dessert?" he asked.

Lorelai swung her legs out from under the table and stood up as she said, "Yeah, I think so."

Luke looked up at her with a perplexed frown and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Right here," she said as she started to lower herself onto his lap.

Luke sat up straighter, his arm encircling her waist to steady her as he said, "Gonna make it kind of hard to get your dessert."

Lorelai shook her head sadly and whispered, "So dirty," as she leaned down to kiss him softly. "You seemed like such a nice boy," she said as she placed her hand over his heart and leaned in to kiss him again.

As she pulled away he murmured, "I'm not, but I really did make dessert. Lots of chocolate."

"Now you're just trying to get me naked," she teased.

"Figured it couldn't hurt," he answered.

Lorelai kissed him again, this time catching his bottom lip between hers and sucking on it gently. When she felt Luke's hand slide from her back to her hip, his fingers grazing over her bottom, she released his lip and then nipped at the patch of beard just under it. She growled playfully as she gave it a little tug with her teeth and then leaned back and grinned at him happily. "Hi," she said in a breathy voice.

"You like that, I guess," Luke said as he returned her smile.

Lorelai cocked her head and said, "Yeah, not sure why, really." She pressed her finger to his lip, letting it slide slowly over his soul patch as she said, "I think it's because it looks kind of bad."

"Bad?" Luke asked with a laugh.

"I mean, bad boy," she said quickly. "A little out of character, maybe a little dangerous?" she asked with a twinkle in her eye.

"Oh," he said with a nod.

"Yeah, and don't think that tattoo on your arm slipped by me either," she told him sternly.

"Nothing gets by you," he said as he ran his hand over her hair.

Lorelai looked at him, her face a portrait of wide eyed innocence as she asked, "Are you bad, Luke?"

"Maybe," he answered softly.

"Let's see," she said as she pressed her lips to his again. This time, Luke parted his lips, his tongue seeking hers as his left hand tightened in her hair and the right smoothed gently over her ass. Lorelai shifted as she let him deepen the kiss, her tongue tangling with his before she broke contact briefly and wriggled off of his lap. She turned to straddle him, and Luke groaned, pulling her to him tightly as he kissed her passionately. He drew his hand through her hair and let it trail slowly down her spine before cupping her ass with both hands and pressing her to him roughly. "Bed," she whispered as she pressed frantic kisses to his jaw and neck.

"Hang on," he answered.

"No," she retorted stubbornly.

"No, I meant, hang on to me," he said as he slid his hands under her and began to rise from the chair.

"Oh," Lorelai said with a giggle as she wrapped her arms and legs around him and clung tightly.

Luke crossed the room quickly, depositing her none too gently on the single bed just off of the living room area. Lorelai laughed as she bounced unceremoniously on the mattress and said, "Tiny bed."

"Nowhere to hide," Luke answered as he watched her fall back onto his pillow, her hair pooling around her in a dark cloud. "I'll buy a bigger one," he promised. He glanced back over his shoulder and then said, "Hang on," this time holding up one finger. He crossed over to the table that held the telephone and answering machine and turned off the ringer and the volume.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he crossed to the apartment door.

"No interruptions," Luke said as he turned the locks. He walked back over to her and asked, "Where's your cell phone?"

"In my purse, but I can't turn it off. What if Rory needs me?" she said worriedly.

"Can you make it vibrate?" he asked as he picked up her purse and handed it to her.

"My, you are a kinky one aren't you?" she teased as she dug her phone from her bag.

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "Just make it be quiet."

"Afraid you'll lose your train of thought?" she asked as she switched the ringer to vibrate.

"You'll help me keep on track, I'm sure," he answered as he took the phone and the purse from her hands. He dropped the purse next to the bed and then placed the phone carefully on the nightstand. "Okay?" he asked solicitously.

"Are you done?" she countered impatiently.

A slow smile spread over his face as he lowered himself to the edge of the bed and said, "Lorelai, I haven't even started yet."

She flashed him a blinding smile and said, "This is fun."

"Glad you think so," Luke said as he toed his shoes off and moved to stretch out next to her.

Lorelai ran her tongue along the edge of her teeth as she watched him settle in next to her and then asked, "So, can I get a better look at that tattoo now?"

"Not much to see," Luke said with a shrug.

"Are you sure it doesn't say, 'Lorelai' somewhere on it?" she teased.

"No, I'm afraid it predates the Lorelai era by a decade or so," he answered with a grin.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and said, "In that case, let me try this tactic. Do you mind taking your shirt off again so that I can admire your manly chest?" she asked, enunciating each word slowly.

"Not at all," Luke said with a laugh as he sat up and once again pulled the sweater over his head. "Better?" he asked.

"Much," Lorelai answered with a nod. She held her arms out to him, and Luke eagerly covered her, pressing her into the mattress with his weight. Lorelai stroked his hair as he buried his face in her neck, kissing her feverishly. "I like laughing Luke," she said softly. When he chuckled against her skin she smiled and said, "You have a great smile. Your real smile, not that sarcastic one you always use," she told him.

"You like that one too," Luke said teasingly as he nipped at her earlobe.

"True," she admitted with a laugh. "Sorry, I'll get serious now," she promised as she ran her hands over his bare shoulders admiringly.

"Don't," he said as he lifted his head to look down at her. He smiled and said, "I like this."

Lorelai reached up and caressed his smooth cheek as she said, "You know, I wondered if you got chattier when you're naked."

"I'm not naked," Luke pointed out.

"Yet," she added.

"We don't have to…" he started to say.

"Oh yes we do," she said emphatically, cutting him off.

Luke smiled sheepishly and said, "I might talk a little more in more, uh, intimate settings."

"Shut up and kiss me," she told him with a pleased smile.

"I think that's my line," Luke said as he lowered his lips to hers and kissed her lingeringly, savoring her soft lips against his. He deepened the kiss, losing himself in the taste of her, the smell of her perfume, and the feel of her body, soft and yielding under his.

He drew back slowly and gazed down at her with eyes dark with desire. He drank in the sight of her dark hair tumbling over his pillow, her lips, parted and red from his kisses. He touched her flushed cheek and could feel the heat of her skin through her sweater as he hovered over her. Lorelai opened her eyes slowly and said, "Luke, I have to tell you something."

Luke stared down at her, dumbfounded. "I dreamed this," he murmured.

"What?" she asked, confusion furrowing her brow.

"Nothing. Uh, what did you want to tell me?" he asked with a short shake of his head.

"I've been dreaming of this, of you, of us," she confessed.

Luke's eyebrows shot up as he asked, "You have?"

"Well, not exactly this, here. Actually, it was in the diner," she said with a chuckle.

Luke laughed and said, "Never gonna happen."

Lorelai smiled knowingly and said, "Never say never, my friend."

Luke traced his fingertips over her jaw, gazing at her intently as he admitted, "I dreamed this, I mean, you here with me."

"We've been dreaming about each other," Lorelai said in an awed tone. "Hey, do you think it was the same dream?" she asked as her eyes widened.

Luke shook his head and said an emphatic, "No."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him and asked, "Were yours dirty?"

"Were yours?" Luke countered.

"Very," Lorelai said with a devilish smile.

Luke blinked in surprise and asked, "They were?"

Lorelai's smile widened as she said, "Sometime I'll tell you about them and you may rethink that 'never gonna happen' thing."

"Well, okay then," Luke said in a deep voice as he bent to kiss her ardently.

When he went back to kissing her neck, Lorelai bit her lip for a moment and then asked cautiously, "Do you think it's just lust?"

Luke rose up and looked down at her as he said plainly, "Not for me, it isn't."

Lorelai's smile was a little shaky as she said, "Not for me either."

"So, we're on the same page?" he asked.

"And the same bed," she answered.

"What was it you wanted again?" Luke asked with a smirk.

"I wanted you to recite poetry to me while plucking the petals from a daisy," she told him solemnly.

"No, the other thing," he said quickly.

"The part about making love to me?" she asked, frowning as if she were struggling to recall the exact topic.

"That's it," Luke said with a grin.

"Okay, but the dreams were pretty hot. Just so you know, real Luke is gonna have to work hard to catch up to dream Luke," she warned him.

"Isn't that always the way," Luke said with a sober nod. "I'll do my best," he said sincerely. He pressed into her kissing her hard and hot, his tongue sweeping into her mouth and dancing over hers as he caressed her neck, stroking the soft skin with his fingertips and sending shivers of anticipation down her spine. After the initial assault, he eased slightly, and for a few moments, they lie still, simply kissing, enjoying the feel of each other's bodies against their own and the sweet taste of the other's lips. Slowly, Luke deepened the kiss again, unable to restrain the maelstrom of need building inside of him. He pressed his lips to her cheek, shifting onto his elbows as he trailed kisses to her ear.

"Ah!" Lorelai gasped as she reached up and grasped his arm. "My hair," she said urgently.

"Oh, sorry," Luke said as he quickly moved his arm.

"Okay, gotta tell ya, Dream Luke never did that to me," she said with a laugh.

"'Course he didn't, the perfect bastard," Luke muttered as he pressed his lips to the pulse beating at her throat. "Let me make it up to you," he murmured against her skin.

"Then again, he didn't feel as good as you do," Lorelai relented with a sigh as he sucked on her neck gently.

"I've got that goin' for me," Luke answered as he kissed his way down the slim column of her neck.

"Yes, you do," Lorelai said smugly as she ran her hands over his back. She purred playfully as she felt his muscles tense and ripple under her touch, causing Luke to chuckle.

"Stop making me laugh," he mumbled as he nipped at her collarbone.

"No," she answered with a grin. She tapped him on the shoulder insistently, and when he looked up at her, she smiled and said, "Would you please take these stupid clothes off of me?"

"You got a curfew?" he asked with a snort.

"You heard her, I have to be home by midnight," Lorelai reminded him.

"Oh," he said as he turned to look at the clock. He smiled when he saw that it was not quite nine yet and said, "That's hours from now, I think we'll make it."

Lorelai shook her head sadly and said, "You're not really selling the goods here, mister."

Luke rolled his eyes and said, "You're starting to make me nervous."

"Ah, you'll be just fine," she teased as she patted his arm consolingly.

Luke shook his head and said, "Killing me."

Lorelai reached down and cupped his ass with both hands as she pressed him to her and said, "You seem just fine to me."

Luke looked down at her, struggling to keep a straight face as he asked, "It's always gonna be like this, isn't it?"

"Lord, I hope so," Lorelai answered with a happy smile.

"Me too," Luke said as he sat back, kneeling between her legs. "Okay, getting these stupid clothes off," he said as he slipped his hands under the edge of her sweater. "Did I mention that I like this?" he asked as he pushed it up over her flat stomach.

"Me or the sweater?" she asked.

"Both, but I was talking about the sweater," Luke said with a deep chuckle.

"I'll wear it a lot," Lorelai told him as she sat up to allow him to lift it over her head. She twisted impatiently and tried to jerk her arm free from the sleeve, sending her elbow sailing directly into Luke's chest.

"Oof," Luke grunted, dropping the sweater as he raised his hand to rub the injured spot. "Okay, Dream Lorelai didn't try to beat me up," he grumbled.

"I'm sorry," Lorelai gasped, clamping her hand over her mouth to try to contain her laughter as she scrambled up to her knees in front of him. "I'm so sorry," she said with a giggle as she leaned forward and tried to press her lips to his chest. "Let me make it better," she said as she ran her hands soothingly through the dusting of hair on his chest.

"You'll probably try to bite me," Luke said as he pretended to shy away.

Lorelai grinned and said, "Yes, but you'll like it."

"Probably will," Luke said as his hands found a home in the curve of her waist. "Well, I think we know we're not dreaming now," he said gruffly as Lorelai pressed her lips to his bruised chest.

"No, not dreaming," Lorelai said as she wound her arms around him, her lips traveling toward his flat nipple. "I can't believe you look like this under all of those clothes," she murmured.

"Well, I had considered the topless diner theme, but I didn't know if I could get the permits from Taylor," Luke answered as he slid his hands up her ribcage, brushing the sides of her breasts with his thumbs. Lorelai nipped at his nipple gently and Luke chuckled. "Knew the biting was coming," he said in a throaty voice.

"You like?" she whispered.

"God, yes," Luke said as he leaned into her, propelling her back and following her to the mattress.

Lorelai giggled as she kicked her legs out from under her bottom and found her head hanging off of the side as they landed diagonally across the bed. "Ran out of bed," she gasped. She looked up and saw that she had come awfully close to the edge of the nightstand and said, "Okay, this is getting a little dangerous now."

Luke lifted up and helped her shift back to the center of the bed, planting a hand on either side of her head to keep her there as he asked, "Okay, better?"

"King size. I think we may need room to run," she told him.

"I think the biggest that will fit is a queen," he answered.

Lorelai pouted and said, "I hate being inhibited."

"Are you ever inhibited?" he asked with a smile.

"Are you ever going to put me out of my misery?" she retorted.

"What can I do to help?" he asked as he sat back, letting his fingers trace the lacy edge of her bra.

"That," Lorelai sighed as she closed her eyes. "Love me, Luke," she whispered afraid to open her eyes and look at him.

Luke's hands stilled for a fraction of a second as he swallowed hard and said in a husky voice, "That I can do." He gently opened the clasp at the front of her bra and once again peeled back the fabric to reveal her breasts. "So perfect," he murmured as he bent to nuzzle one breast, cupping them both gently in his hands. Lorelai's eyes flew open as she lifted her head slightly to watch him. He tenderly kissed the rosy tip and then circled it slowly with his tongue. He blew on her gently and groaned as he watched her nipple bead. Closing his mouth over the furled tip, he drew on her insistently, trying to fight back the urge to simply devour her in an attempt to slake his raging desire. "Lorelai," he sighed as he released her and turned to lavish the same attention to her other breast.

Lorelai ran her hands through his hair, her fingers tangling in the curls at the nape of his neck as she held him to her, bowing up off of the mattress and urging him on. "No stopping," she murmured. "Nothing is stopping this now," she told him.

"No," he agreed as he pressed his lips to the curve of her breast, nuzzling the soft underside and breathing her in. He pressed open mouthed kisses to her stomach, tracing random patterns over her skin with his tongue as he trailed lower. He slid his hands up her thighs, kneading them gently through the rough denim. As they traveled higher, Lorelai lifted her hips, pressing her sex to his chest with a low moan. Luke could feel her heat through the material, and it sent him into a frenzy. He nipped at her stomach as one hand found the button on her jeans. As he drew the zipper down, he dipped his tongue into her shallow navel, a promise of things to come.

"Oh!" Lorelai gasped, unable to suppress the laugh that escaped her.

"Tickle?" Luke asked as he lifted his head.

Lorelai raised her head to look at him as she said in a raspy voice, "In a really naughty way."

One glimpse of her lust filled eyes was all he needed. Luke gripped the waistband of her jeans and grunted, "Up," as he tugged on them roughly. When Lorelai raised her hips from the mattress, he quickly peeled them down over her bottom and dragged them down her thighs. Unable to wait, he pressed his mouth to the creamy skin inside of her thigh and laved it gently before drawing her into his mouth and sucking hard.

"Luke," Lorelai panted, shocked and aroused by his ardor.

"God, I want you," he rasped as he began to pull her jeans the rest of the way off. He stripped her socks from her feet as he struggled to stand at the foot of the bed.

"Where are you going?" Lorelai asked plaintively as she sat up and shrugged the bra straps from her shoulders, tossing it aside carelessly.

"Right here," Luke assured her as he looked down at her sprawled on his bed wearing nothing but a pair of lacy blue panties. He reached for his belt buckle and began to open it as his heated gaze raked over her.

Lorelai raised an eyebrow and watched with avid interest as he opened his jeans. "You should have made it a strip diner," she said as he hooked his thumbs into his jeans and pushed them down, leaving his navy plaid boxers in place.

"Nah, can't stand wearing those bikini things," he said as he bent down to free his feet from the tangle of jeans and strip off his socks.

When he stood up, Lorelai's lips quirked as she eyed the impressive tent in the front of his shorts. "Confining," she agreed as she held out one hand to him.

Luke took her hand and let her pull him back to her. Lorelai wrapped her arms and legs around him and held him tightly for a moment, and reveled in the feel of his hard body pressed against hers. "You forgot to take a couple of things off," she whispered in his ear.

"Trying to pace myself," he answered as he rubbed his cheek against her soft, dark hair.

"We have lots of time," she murmured.

"Only a couple of hours," he said sadly.

"I meant other nights. And days," she added with a smile.

Luke pushed up onto his elbows and carefully brushed her hair back from her eyes. "Promise?" he asked. ""Cause it's been a while, and I think at the moment, the dream guy is kicking my ass," he said with a wince.

"Promise," she answered as she let her hand slide down into the rear of his boxers. She gave his ass a little squeeze and then an encouraging pat.

Luke eyed her suspiciously and asked, "You're not gonna spank me are you?"

"Only if you're very bad," Lorelai said with a grin.

"I'll be as good as I can be, under the circumstances," he said gravely. "Or as bad as you want me to be," he added with a rakish smile.

"Hey, Luke?" she asked as he pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Yeah?" he answered with a distracted smile.

"I'm having such a good time," she said with a happy sigh as she ran her other hand through his hair.

Luke's smile grew brilliant as he said, "I'm glad. Me too."

Lorelai's breath caught in her chest as she looked up at him and murmured, "Beautiful."

"You are," he answered. "Now shut up," he added as he placed a wet smacking kiss on her lips. "I have things I need to do," he told her as he began to slide down her body, savoring the feel of her skin against his.

"Get busy," she ordered with a contented smile.

"Plan on it," Luke muttered as he pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her left breast. "Oh, I plan on it," he repeated as he turned his head and drew her right nipple into his mouth. As he moved lower, his hands slipped over her hips to her legs, stroking them with feather soft brushes of his fingertips. He positioned himself between her legs and glanced down to find her panties slightly darkened and damp. "Lorelai," he breathed. He ran his hands up her thighs and then squeezed them with his long fingers as he pushed them apart and pressed his mouth to the wet lace with a strangled groan. He licked her through the lace, both aroused and frustrated by the barrier, and had to raise his hips from the mattress to avoid grinding into it and possibly embarrassing himself.

"Oh God!" Lorelai cried as her fingers curled into his shoulder. "Oh!" she gasped a she clutched the back of his head, holding him there as she thrust up at him. A little stunned by her reaction, Luke exhaled in a rush, and his warm breath washed over her hyper sensitive flesh. "Luke," she whispered achingly. Her obvious excitement drove him as he teased her clit with each stroke of his tongue letting the friction of the lace work against her tantalizingly. He felt her tense suddenly, and her nails dig into his scalp and he realized that she was teetering on the edge. Hooking a finger into the leg of her panties, Luke jerked the material aside and buried himself in her, pressing his tongue into her heat. "Luke!" Lorelai cried desperately as she tumbled over the edge. "Oh God, oh God," she gasped as she ground against him.

Crazed with desire, Luke raised his head and grasped both sides of her panties, pulling them down a little too roughly. He froze when he heard the fabric tear a little and his eyes flew to her face. Lorelai let out a breathless laugh as she lay panting on his pillow. "Aw, geez," he mumbled under his breath, which made her laugh even harder. "Sorry," he said sheepishly as he began to slide them off with a little more care.

"Brand new," she giggled.

"Buy you new ones," he said with an abashed smile as he pulled them down her legs.

"Okay, I'll tell you where I bought them," she said as she dissolved into giddy laughter at the thought of Luke lingerie shopping.

"I meant I'll pay for them," Luke said as he shook his head vehemently.

"Well, yeah, if you don't, it's shoplifting, and that's illegal," she said with a pointed look.

"I'll give you the money," he said slowly.

"Oh, okay but, not right now, that would imply something else that's illegal," she teased as she pressed her hand to her hammering heart.

"Lorelai," he said with an exasperated sigh.

"Come here for a minute," she said as she held her arms up to him. When Luke stretched out over her, Lorelai smoothed her hand over his cheek and said, "Sorry about the hair trigger."

Luke chuckled deeply and said, "Believe me, I was almost there with you."

"Give me just a sec and we'll get you there," she promised as she stroked his shoulder gently.

"It's okay, I'm good," he told her as he shifted to settle on the pillow next to her.

Lorelai turned her head to look at him and whispered, "You are, but judging by the whoo hoo that's pressing up against my leg, I'd say that you're more in danger of breaking it off."

"Whoo hoo?" Luke asked with a smirk.

Lorelai grinned as she thrust a fist into the air and cried, "Whoo hoo!"

"You're nuts," Luke said, unable to hide his smile.

"You're hot," she countered.

"And bothered," he added.

"Still having fun?" she asked innocently.

"A blast," he answered in a voice laden with affection.

"I think I may be crazy about you," she said softly.

"You are crazy, and the feeling is entirely mutual," he replied before kissing her tenderly.

"I want to be with you," she whispered as she rubbed her nose against his.

Luke frowned and said, "I thought you were with me."

Lorelai shook her head and reached down to run her finger under the waistband of his boxers as she said with a meaningful look, "No, I want to be with you."

"Oh," he said as comprehension dawned. "Well, then don't touch me," he said with a chuckle.

"But I want to," she pouted.

"You do and it'll be over before we start," he said with a shake of his head.

"Just a little?" she wheedled as she slid her hand into his shorts. Luke tensed as her hand brushed against him and then jerked convulsively as she wrapped her fingers around his rigid length.

"Lorelai, I'm not kidding. Please," he said raggedly as he stared at her beseechingly.

Lorelai relented, reluctantly withdrawing her hand from him and saying sternly, "Next time, you're mine."

"You got it," he said with a smile as he rubbed her hip absently. "Doing okay?" he asked in a low, intimate voice.

"Fantastic," she answered as she shifted to sit up and tugged at him to get him to move toward the center of the bed.

Luke rolled onto his back and looked up at her as she moved to straddle his hips. He licked his dry lips and whispered, "Incredible," as he sat up to wrap his arms around her, pressing his lips to her throat. Lorelai moaned softly as he licked and nipped at her neck. Luke splayed one hand over her back to hold her and then bent his head to kiss her breasts as he touched his fingertips to her sex again.

"Oh my," Lorelai said with a feline smile as he began to stroke her gently, caressing her clit with the pad of one finger.

Luke smiled as he placed one more kiss to her upturned breast and let his hand slide from her back down to her ass as he reclined against the pillow and watched as he stroked her. Lorelai's breathing began to grow labored again, puffing softly through parted lips as her eyes stayed locked on his face. She watched his eyes drop to see his finger dancing over her curls teasingly, and saw him bite the inside of his lower lip as her ass brushed over his hard cock, still trapped in his boxers. When he looked up at her, he raised an eyebrow at the smug, self-satisfied look that he saw on her face. He slowly pulled his hand from between her legs and looked up at her challengingly as he brought his finger to his lips. He saw her jaw drop and heard her gasp softly as he sucked her juices from his finger.

"You are Dream Luke," she said in a shocked tone.

Luke looked up at her questioningly as he lowered his hand again, this time, thrusting his wet finger into her. "I'm just Luke," he said gruffly.

Lorelai let her head fall back slightly as she began to ride his hand. "No, I'm changing it to Oh God Luke," she told him as she gaped at the ceiling.

"I'll answer to that," he said as he closed his eyes. "Now, Lorelai," he told her urgently.

"Now," she agreed as she pulled away and moved to strip his boxers from him. She wasted no time dropping them over the edge of the bed as she moved over him again. Reaching between her legs, she stroked him gently as she asked, "Okay?"

"Please," he said, his voice breaking on the single word as she positioned his cock at her entrance and began to sink down onto him. "Jesus," he breathed as she slowly parted and he was sheathed in her wet heat. "Don't move, don't move," he pled as he squeezed his eyes shut.

"Gotta move," Lorelai answered on a moan.

"Career batting average .344, 521 home runs, 1839 RBIs," Luke mumbled as Lorelai began to ride him.

"Huh?" Lorelai said with a frown.

"Ted Williams, Red Sox," Luke gasped as he sat up, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly as she continued to impale herself on him.

"A baseball guy? We're doing this and you're thinking about baseball?" she asked incredulously.

"Have to, can't," he groaned. "Lorelai," he moaned as his fingers dug into her back. Spurred on by his excitement, Lorelai rode faster, thrusting down on him hard as she slipped her hand between them and began to stroke her clit. Luke's eyes flew open as he realized that she was touching herself and he batted her hand away, replacing it with his own as he said, "You're trying to kill me."

"I wanna be with you," she whispered.

"Oh God," Luke said as he pressed desperate kisses to her throat. "I'm here, I'm waiting," he promised her as he fought to hang on. "You do that though, and I'm finished," he told her.

"You feel so good," Lorelai murmured.

"So good," Luke echoed.

"Tell me," she prompted. "Tell me you want me, tell me I'm the one," she whispered.

"Lorelai, Lorelai," Luke said, struggling to find the words. "You, always you," he said as he lifted his head to look at her. When her eyes met his, he said, "Only you."

"Luke," she said, cradling his face in her hands and bending to kiss him sweetly. "With me?" she asked.

"Way ahead of ya," he said with a rueful chuckle.

"Let go," she whispered.

Luke's eyes closed as her words sank in and he gave himself up to her, feeling her hot tight walls squeezing his cock, pulling him into her, holding him deep within as her muscles tensed and coiled. "Lorelai," he said, pressing his face to her neck as he felt his release surging through him.

"Yes, Luke, yes," she answered as she rode him, pressing against his fingers as he stroked her relentlessly. "Oh yes," she said as she felt the rush of warmth coursing through her veins.

Luke pulled his hand away and thrust up into her with a guttural groan as he filled her, rolling back to look down at their joined bodies and watching his cock disappear into her with each stroke. He drew a deep gasping breath as he looked up at her in wonder and watched as her climax swept through her again. "Oh, oh," he said as he pulled her down onto him harder. "Oh," he whispered as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, banding her to him. "Oh," he whispered in an awed tone as he nuzzled into her neck, running his hand over her hair and then burying it in the mass of tangled curls.

Lorelai giggled as she kissed the top of his head and said, "I guess I don't have to ask what your favorite vowel is."

"Huh?" was his muffled reply.

"Oh, oh, oh," she teased.

"Don't mock," he grumbled as he started to fall back, pulling her down on top of him. He brushed her hair back, and tucked it behind her ear as he said, "It's not nice at the moment."

"You want me to whisper sweet nothings in your ear?" she asked with a lazy smile.

"Yes," he answered.

Lorelai raised her chin, placing her lips against his ear as she whispered softly, "Sweet nothings."

"Shoulda known," Luke said with a contented smile.

"You sleepy?" she whispered as his eyes drifted closed.

"Relaxed," he answered. "Can't sleep, pumpkin to deliver by midnight," he mumbled.

"Aw, you called me punkin," she teased.

"No, I called you a pumpkin," he corrected.

Lorelai frowned and said, "Nice pillow talk."

Luke opened his eyes and craned his neck to look at her as he asked, "When do I get to see you again?"

"This date isn't over yet," she pointed out.

"Just need to know," he said with a shrug.

Lorelai pushed up and folded her forearms across his chest as she looked down at him and asked, "When do you want to?"

"Tomorrow," he answered quickly.

Lorelai smiled and shook her head sadly as she said, "I have to work late tomorrow, and Friday I'll have dinner at my parents' house."

"Saturday?" Luke asked with a frown.

"All yours," Lorelai answered. "Of course, I'll be in the diner both days if you feel like reenacting my dreams," she told him.

"What all did they entail?" Luke asked as he twirled a piece of her hair around his finger.

"Tell you sometime," she said with an enigmatic smile.

"How'd I rate?" he asked with a wince.

Lorelai smiled broadly and said, "I was just saying that to get you riled. Dream Luke was a big tease, no follow through."

Luke nodded solemnly and said, "I always finish what I start, and the fact that you breathe gets me riled."

"In a good way or bad?" she asked.

"Both," he said with a chuckle.

Lorelai shifted her legs and muttered, "You have bony knees."

"Yeah, well, you're crushing the air from my lungs," he countered. When she started to move, he held her tightly and added, "I can take it."

"So, Saturday?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said with a smile.

"You going bed shopping before then?" she teased him.

"Yep," he answered with a nod.

"Pick me up at four-thirty," she ordered.

"Four-thirty?" he asked.

Lorelai nodded and then snuggled into his neck as she said, "We'll eat the early bird special and then we'll have all night to christen your new bed."

"Denny's it is," he said as he pressed a kiss to her hair.

"Grand slam, slugger," she said with a happy sigh as she breathed in the scent of Luke, and knew it could never be bottled. "Please tell me its pie," she said as she trailed her fingers long the line of hair trailing down his stomach.

"What?" Luke asked lazily.

Lorelai turned her head to look up at him and said, "If you made me a pie, I'll be yours forever."

The End


End file.
